


The Moth Guardian

by LivyWrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Humor, I don't know what else to put here, Sequel, So I'm just Gonna Stop, it's not MAJOR MAJOR character death don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:36:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 21,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivyWrites/pseuds/LivyWrites
Summary: *this is a sequel to Imperiumal. I highly recommend reading that before this*After the destructive events that the akuma Imperiumal wreaked upon Ladybug and Chat Noir, only more problems lie ahead, waiting to devastate all that the superheroes have built. However, despite the ongoing chaos, one thing is for sure. The past will always come back to haunt you, even if it's a century late.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here's some stuff ya'll should know before reading The Moth Guardian. 
> 
> First, it switches P.O.V. Yeah, I know I switched to Marinette's P.O.V in Imperiumal like once, but this time it happens A LOT. I wanted to try something new, so here is the end result. 
> 
> Second, I tried to research the instance in whether or not a kwami disappears when a miraculous is taken forcibly or just taken off in general, and all I could gather was that it's all about intent. If you don't want to have the miraculous anymore and you take it off, (such as what Marinette did in the Origin's episodes) then the kwami will disappear. If the miraculous falls off by accident (such as when Adrien's ring fell off during Lady Wifi) then the kwami will not disappear. However, I couldn't find a clear answer about the miraculous being forcibly taken. So, for the sake of this fanfic I'm going to say that the kwami does disappear when the miraculous is taken off at all. So... I guess you could say this is an extremely slight AU? I don't know haha :) (If you guys have an answer, then feel free to message me or comment about it!) 
> 
> Also, super important, here's a huge thank you to CrystalHeartZyx (on fanfiction.net) for helping spark the idea of this fanfic! This sequel wouldn't exist without their help, so make sure to check them out!
> 
> Now that that's all over with, here is The Moth Guardian. Enjoy!!

The white butterflies chaotically fluttered throughout the dome shaped room as if they were trying to escape Hawk Moth's dark touch. Gabriel slowly paced the room, gripping his hair with a stiff hand. His usual clean sophisticated poster was rugged and disheveled, and his clothes were wrinkled and bent. "There's no way he could be back... there's no possible way..." He muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as he turned on his heel to continue his useless march. "My... head..." Gabriel moaned, halting in his tracks. Both hands flew to his head as he fell onto his knees.

"M-master?" Nooroo squeaked quietly, peeping out from the shadows. "Master what's wrong?"

Gabriel's hands fell to his side, and he glanced over his shoulder at his enslaved kwami. "I don't feel like myself... I feel like... how... Adrien felt when..." He paused, his head throbbing painfully. "M-my son... Chat Noir..." He groaned once more as his head once again fell into his cold hands. "I see him in... my head."

"W-what do you mean m-master?" Nooroo asked timidly.

"I'm talking about Imperiumal you useless twit!" Gabriel suddenly shouted, glaring fiercely over his shoulder as Nooroo let out a squeak. "He's in my dreams... in my head..." He added shakily, his breathing shallow.

Nooroo slowly recovered from his moment of terror from Gabriel's outburst. "B-but Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated Imperiumal! How could he... how could he be b-back?"

"He can't! But he's there, Nooroo. He's still there! And why is he still there? In my head?" Gabriel let out a bark of laughter, poking his head with a shaky finger. He jumped to his feet. "I don't know! For once I don't know! I didn't know about my son, now did I? My son that I've been fighting and aiming to defeat for months! For months! How could Adrien keep that from me? How could he betray me like this?!"

Nooroo squeaked again and quickly flew back into the shadows, hovering close to the ground to avoid being seen. "Master you must calm down! You've been like this for two weeks."

"My son has been my enemy for a year!" Gabriel fired back, his eyes wild. "And now I have to deal with a constant headache and Imperiumal infested nightmares!" He started to pace once more, muttering under his breath. "There's no way he's back..."


	2. Last Ones in the Theater

-Adrien-

"Adrien? You awake, dude?" Nino asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Adrien cracked open an eye, seeing Nino holding back laughter as Marinette scowled over him. "No... Is the movie already over?" Adrien mumbled back.

"We're the last ones in the theater." Marinette stated plainly. She folded her arms over her chest.

Adrien paused for a moment, yawning as he stood up from his seat. "...So how did it end?"

Nino suddenly burst out laughing as Marinette rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable." Alya said scornfully. Adrien couldn't tell if she was talking about him or Nino.

"Adrien we bought tickets to this movie only because you wanted to go." Marinette said sharply as Alya shoved Nino to make him stop laughing.

"Uh... sorry? I didn't get much sleep last night and-"

"Oh cut the excuses! We've been dating for almost two weeks, Adrien!" Marinette said.

Adrien smiled sheepishly as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Um... I'm still sorry." He said quietly.

Marinette groaned and rolled her eyes, but Adrien could've sworn he saw her smile.

"We're going to have to ask you to leave." A deep voice suddenly spoke. They all turned towards the security guard who looked down at them with a stern glare.

"Sorry sir. He fell asleep and-" Marinette began to say before the guard interrupted her.

"Cut the excuses! Out!" The guard pointed a finger towards the exit.

The four teenagers guilty stood and filed out of the row. As Adrien passed the guard he saw him do a double take. He immediately saw suspicion fill the guards eyes. Oh no. Adrien thought to himself as he quickened his step until he was side by side Marinette.

"What a way to start off the weekend." Nino grumbled.

"We better head out." Alya said, taking hold of Nino's hand.

"We'll see you tomorrow then?" Marinette asked, taking Adrien's own hand.

Nino smirked. "Maybe Adrien will actually stay awake tomorrow." Alya elbowed Nino.

"I'm not a sloth!" Adrien said, defending himself.

"Of course you're not. Now let's go." Marinette said, a hint of a smile on her annoyed filled face. Adrien and Marinette turned away from Nino and Alya before glancing over their shoulders and waving. Once they were far enough away from Nino and Alya that they wouldn't be overheard, Adrien looked over at Marinette with worry.

"Are you really mad at me?" He asked. Please don't be mad... Please don't be mad...

Marinette smiled. "Only a little." She said, nudging him playfully.

Adrien smiled back for a brief second. "Well... I think that guard believes that rumor that's been floating around."

Marinette looked at Adrien. "What? Really?" Adrien nodded. "Why are people suddenly believing that you're Chat Noir? Where did it even come from?" She asked, more to herself then to Adrien.

"Maybe it was because of Imperiumal?" Adrien suggested.

Marinette shuddered. "Maybe. Who knows what he did when you were under his control." She said quietly.

The two fell silent, the slowly dropping sun lengthening their shadows. Finally Adrien spoke again. "I haven't seen my father in two weeks. I haven't seen him since Imperiumal was defeated."

Marinette looked up at Adrien. "Do we really have to talk about Imperiumal right now?"

Adrien could tell the memory of the akuma hurt her, but he had to bring him up. Ever since he was defeated it had seemed as if everything had just blown over everyone's heads. Only a few mentioned the akuma now. "I know you don't, but I think my father disappearing is because of Imperiumal."

"How could it? You defeated him, remember?" Marinette said, a small spark of hurt in her eyes.

Remember... I don't remember anything. Adrien sighed. "I'm just worried about him. I haven't even had any photo shoots! Nathalie won't tell me anything either. Although, she has mentioned that she's going to have to leave on a trip soon to take care of the company."

"Let's talk about this back at the balcony." Marinette suggested. "I don't feel necessarily safe out here in the open."

Adrien smiled. "Are you saying I'm not enough to protect you?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I can protect myself kitty." She said, nudging him playfully with her hip.

Adrien laughed. "That I know, but wouldn't it be easier with someone by your side?"

At this Marinette looked thoughtfully down at the ground as if the question was hard to decipher before meeting Adrien's eyes again. "Of course." She smiled. "And I wouldn't want it to be anyone else but you."

Adrien and Marinette were leaning against the railing together not too long afterwards, the sun just a sliver over the horizon. "Could you tell me more about the month I missed?" Adrien asked quietly, looking over at Marinette. Her hair shone brightly with lights that hung across her balcony, and her eyes sparkled with hope and joy, and now that he knew she was Ladybug, he could always see that familiar determination. The determination that she would always do everything in her power to keep the ones she loved and Paris safe.

And he loved it.

Marinette smiled sadly. "Well... You called me pri-"

"Princess?" Adrien finished for her.

Marinette's eyes darted to his. "H-how did you...?"

"You certainly look like one." Adrien explained. He leaned in closer to her, smiling cheekily as he always did as Chat Noir. "Don't you, purrincess?"

Her initial surprise fell from her expression and she giggled. Adrien almost died of how cute it was.

"Now Chaton, if I'm your princess, what does that make you?" She asked, tapping his nose. Adrien's nose wrinkled in response and he pulled away.

"I guess... your knight in leather armor?" He suggested, bowing deeply.

Marinette laughed again. "What good does leather armor do?"

Adrien straightened, his smile widening. "Why it's not the armor that protects me, but my love for my princess."

Marinette's cheeks flushed that adorable pink that Adrien loved, and she smiled. "Oh for heaven's sake, Chaton! You're too cheesy for your own good."

Adrien snorted. "Not as cheesy as Plagg's Camembert I hope."

"I heard that!" The black kwami shouted back in response.

Adrien and Marinette laughed in response and turned back towards the railing, Adrien wrapping his arm around Marinette as she laid her head on his chest. Neither of them said a word for a while.

"What if Imperiumal really is back?" Adrien finally said, breaking the sweet silence.

"Adrien, I don't think your father's gone because of Imperiumal. He's probably just trying to catch up on work since you were out of modeling for a month."

"For two weeks? My father really isn't one to take time."

Marinette sighed. "Maybe you should go looking for him then."

"Maybe." Adrien replied.

"Now about that guard?" Marinette prompted. "You think he believes that stupid rumor?"

"Almost everyone believes it."

Marinette groaned. "Well hopefully it'll just blow over, right?"

Adrien shrugged. He wanted to bring Imperiumal back into the conversation, but he felt as if it could wait for another day. When he had opened his eyes and seen Ladybug crying, he had known something was horribly wrong. And he was right. It was still disorientating to think that he had lost a month of his life. And because of an akuma no less! After that Ladybug had shown her identity to Adrien as being Marinette, and right after that they had started dating. It was nice to be able to smile and laugh without worrying of any golden pendulums or dark indigo eyes. However, even though the akuma was defeated, there was still destruction and problems that they had to clean up after him. Adrien sighed and looked over at where the sun had been. All that was left was a small smudge of light.

"The sun's down." Marinette mused.

Adrien nodded. "Time for patrol?" He asked.

Marinette smiled. "Of course!" She answered, her smiling widening as she stepped away from the railing to transform. Adrien did the same.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

Soon the two superheroes were bounding across the cities of Paris, racing each other playfully as the early night wind brushed across their masks.

"Race you to the Eiffel Tower!" Chat Noir called out, padding across the rooftops on all fours. Ladybug ran right alongside him. She laughed.

"Oh please, kitty! You know you don't stand a chance!" She shouted back, quickening her pace. Chat chuckled.

"We'll see about that." He said under his breath, speeding up to pull ahead of his lady.

Slowly but surely, he caught up with Ladybug and he began to take longer strides, practically leaping. He was just about to jump ahead of her when someone suddenly screamed "Chat Noir!"

Chat's heart jumped and he lost his footing, slipping off of the roof he was on and plummeting to the street below. He landed hard on his back, just barely rolling out of the way of a car that honked in either surprise or annoyment.

Chat groaned in pain as he lay sprawled on he sidewalk. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head. People around him were staring at him in shock. He didn't blame them. He wouldn't want it to start raining cats and dogs either.

Soon a crowd had gathered around Chat, people muttering and even a few pulled out their phones to snap a picture. Chat was just about to get on his feet and leap away when the cry came again.

"Chat Noir!" Chat quickly stood, ignoring his body that screamed in protest. "Chat Noir!" Finally the person who continued to scream his name came into view, shoving their way through the crowd. Chat's ears flattened against his head, and he internally groaned. It was a reporter. The cameraman quickly came through the crowd as well, his gigantic camera pointed straight at the superhero. The reporter held a microphone out in front of her, practically shoving it into Chat's chest. "Chat Noir are you really Adrien Agreste?" She asked, her eyes wide yet determined to get an answer.

Chat looked around at the crowd again. Now almost everyone had their phones out, no doubt recording the whole thing. "No! No I'm not!" Chat quickly answered, cursing himself for replying so quickly.

Instantly the whole crowd exploded, the reporter shouting to try to be heard. Everyone was asking the same thing. "Are you Adrien Agreste?" Chat held up his hands to ward off everyone.

"Chat!" Ladybug suddenly shouted, landing behind the crowd. They instantly parted, and Ladybug jogged over to Chat. "What's going on here?"

The reporter lady instantly seized upon her chance. "Ladybug, can you confirm the identity of Chat Noir as Adrien Agreste?"

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. "He is not Adrien Agreste, and I'd expect everyone to respect our hidden identities." She said, the amount of authority in her voice made Chat want to bow. "Excuse us." She added, grabbing Chat's hand. They both leaped up onto a nearby rooftop and quickly ran away from the crowd, their questions and shouts being lost in the wind.

Soon Ladybug stopped and she let go of Chat's hand. She turned towards him, her eyes full of worry. "What happened? I was almost to Eiffel Tower when I realized you weren't behind me! I was worried!"

Chat sighed, sitting down on the roof they had stopped on. He winced slightly as his aching back and head throbbed slightly. "Someone screamed my name and it startled me so I... fell." He said, his cheeks turning slightly red underneath his mask. "Turns out it was a reporter and then the crowd formed. I don't know why I didn't just leave."

Ladybug let out a relieved sigh. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you didn't get attacked by an akuma or something." She held out her hand and helped Chat stand again. "Looks like you took a pretty rough fall though."

"I guess you could say that." Chat replied with a smile. "I did fall off of a building's roof."

Ladybug smiled guiltily. "Sorry. I should've noticed you were gone sooner. Then I could've gotten you out of there quicker."

Chat shrugged. "It's fine, really. I'm getting used to all of the flash mobs and everyone asking if I'm Adrien."

"We'll get it worked out. I promise. Maybe I could ask the mayor to organize a conference, and I could announce publicly that you aren't Adrien Agreste." Ladybug offered, smiling hopefully.

An idea suddenly popped into Chat's head. "My father's probably staying shut in his office all day because he thinks I'm Adrien! He's probably trying to figure it out!"

Ladybug glanced over towards the direction of the Agreste Mansion, seemingly unfazed by the sudden change of subject. "Well, only one way to find out. Let's go check on him." Chat Noir nodded and they jumped off towards the mansion.


	3. The Office Door

-Adrien-

It wasn't long before they got there. A large crowd of reporters and cameras was crowded around the gates leading to the mansion, but thankfully Ladybug and Chat were able to slip by without anyone noticing. They leaped around to the back and slid in through the open window, landing in Adrien's room. Both of them called off their transformations, and Adrien led Marinette out into the lobby of the mansion. Quickly and quietly they jogged across the floor and stopped in front of Gabriel Agreste's closed office door.

"Are you sure about this?" Marinette asked quietly, her fist hovering in front of the door, ready to knock.

Adrien nodded. "I haven't gotten an answer from him yet, so I'm having my doubts that he will this time."

Marinette nodded and knocked. She lowered her arm and they waited, Adrien rocking on his heels anxiously. After a moment Adrien sighed in defeat. "He's not going to answer." He said quietly, turning around when a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"What are you doing, Adrien?" Nathalie asked sharply, and Adrien had to keep himself from yelping. "And what is Miss Dupain-Cheng doing here?"

Marinette sheepishly clasped her hands behind her back, muttering a barely audible "Sorry."

"I was on a date with her, and we thought to stop by here." Adrien said quickly, smiling for good measure. He was pretty sure it looked more like a grimace.

"Stopping by your father's private office?" Nathalie replied, emphasizing on the word 'private'.

Adrien winced. "I just wanted to see him. Talk to him. I haven't seen him in two weeks and-"

"Your father requires privacy at the moment." Nathalie interrupted, her hand still resting on Adrien's shoulder. Adrien stared down at the ground, wishing that Nathalie would take her hand off. "Your bodyguard will take Miss Dupain-Cheng home." Adrien's head snapped up in surprise, and he met eyes with Marinette.

Marinette looked up at Nathalie. "Can Adrien come with me?" She asked.

Nathalie's stern eyes didn't soften. "Adrien must practice his piano, but he can walk you out." She said, lifting her hand from Adrien's shoulder. Adrien quickly slid away and took hands with Marinette, walking her to the front door.

"Sorry about all of that." Adrien muttered to Marinette, opening up the front door. Marinette huddled closer to Adrien as the night breeze blew over them.

"It's ok. She about gave me a heart attack though." Marinette replied, smiling softly.

Surprisingly, the silver car was already out in front of them, waiting to take Marinette home. As they walked closer to the car, the reporters started up a ruckus as they spotted Adrien.

"Adrien Agreste!"

"Adrien, are you Chat Noir?"

"What do you think of Chat Noir?"

Adrien tuned out all of the reporters shouting voices and questions, opening up the car door for Marinette. Before she sat down, Marinette turned and hugged Adrien, burying her head into the embrace. Adrien could feel his face heat up and his heart rate quicken.

"See you tomorrow." She whispered. She quickly pulled away, hastily glancing over her shoulder at the reporters clambering at the gate. Her face flushed slightly, and Adrien took her hand before she could slip into the car.

"I wish I could kiss you goodnight." He whispered.

Marinette giggled lightly. "How about tomorrow?" And with that, she climbed into the car and Adrien shut the door. He stepped back and the car slowly pulled out of the driveway, only a few reporters giving chase to the car before deciding that it wasn't worth it.

Adrien sighed and turned, walking back into his house and shutting the door behind him. He was about to walk to his room when Nathalie came out of his father's office. She looked extremely worried, and the sight concerned him.

"Nathalie!" Adrien exclaimed, running towards her just as she shut the door. "What's wrong with my father? Let me see him!"

Nathalie shook her head. "No. Your father is fine. Go to your room and practice your piano, Adrien."

Adrien wanted to protest. He wanted to shove his way past Nathalie and break the door down, but he held his tongue and stiffly walked to his room, his mind buzzing with questions.


	4. Bare Finger

-Adrien-

"I'm sorry, Plagg, but I have to take my ring off so people don't think I'm Chat Noir!" Adrien said pleadingly. Plagg didn't seem very convinced. He stubbornly sat on Adrien's desk, hugging a piece of Camembert that was one size too large for the small kwami.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. I have to stay stuck in that ring for the entire day while you prance around freely! Just skip school."

"Plagg!" Adrien exclaimed, horrified by the very thought of skipping out of class.

"Adrien." Plagg mimicked, pitching his voice up and down in a mocking way.

Adrien sighed. He knew there was only one thing that would make Plagg understand. Cheese. Stinky cheese to be exact. "I promise I'll give you extra Camembert when I get home."

Plagg's ears perked up and his tail twitched, but still he shook his head. "There's nothing stopping you from taking that ring off. You'll just have to deal with a sour kwami until you can make it up with sweet heavenly Camembert." Plagg's ears drooped in a love-sick way as he mentioned his beloved food, and Adrien scowled until another idea popped into his head. He was about to open his mouth when a different thought shoved it's way front and center. I can't do that to him. I shouldn't bring that up. He hates talking about it.

Plagg looked up at Adrien with a sideways glare. "I know what you're thinking."

"What?"

"You're thinking about that akuma Imperiumal, and the story Mister Wise Guy told you about." Plagg explained sourly. "You were gonna guilt me into feeling fine with this whole ordeal."

Adrien glanced at his shoes guiltily. "I'm sorry... I know you miss your previous holder, and I know you miss him, but-"

"Listen, kid." Plagg interrupted, dropping his Camembert (which surprised Adrien immensely,) and flying straight up to Adrien's face so that they were eye to eye. "He was a holder, but that was centuries ago. I'm fine with it now. So just take your ring off and..." Plagg hesitated, snorting and turning away from Adrien. "Don't go falling asleep in any alleyway again ok?"

Adrien smiled slightly. "Thanks Plagg." He said before taking his ring off. Plagg was gone in a small flash of green. Smile falling, Adrien slipped the ring into his pocket, grabbed his bag, and was out the door and on his way to school.

"ADRIEN!" Adrien winced, looking over his shoulder to see two teenage girls running towards him. He was about to run when it was already too late. The girls were on him. One of them grabbed his arm while the other jumped up and down excitedly. "You're Chat Noir, aren't you? We saw you transform!"

Adrien swallowed, but it didn't help his panicking heart. "Um... uh w-what you saw was an illusion." He quickly spat out. "It was that akuma."

The girl holding his arm snorted and let go, folding her arms across her chest. "Imperiumal or whatever his face is?" He snorted again. "He came after we saw you transform. Before that it was Blaze."

"He could change form!" Adrien explained quickly, wishing he actually knew for himself. All he knew was what Marinette had told him, which was that Imperiumal was basically two akumas smashed into one. He didn't really get it.

The bell soon rang, telling everyone that they had approximately five minutes to get to class. Saved by the bell. Adrien thought to himself, sliding away from the two girls. "Gotta go." He said quickly, turning and running off to class. Once he was to the stairs he slowed down, keeping his eyes glued to the steps. As he climbed past other students, he could hear them muttering to their friends.

"He's already famous enough. And now he's a superhero? Give me a break." One boy said, a little louder than the rest as if he wanted Adrien to hear him.

"From supermodel to superhero huh?" Another kid scoffed. Adrien felt his face grow red and he quickly climbed the rest of the staircase.

His classroom wasn't much better. Most of his classmates were already in their seats, and when they saw Adrien walk in, they either averted their eyes or stared at him. The air was stale and tense. As fragile as glass.

Adrien quietly slipped into his seat and set his bag down, laying his head down on his arms as he rested on the desk. He glanced at Nino, who smiled sympathetically and went back onto his phone. Adrien's heart sank. He wanted to scream at everyone, show them his bare finger as proof that he wasn't Chat Noir. But it wasn't that easy. Because he was. Adrien sighed and rested his head on the desk, rubbing his finger where his ring should've been. He felt so vulnerable and naked without it on. He closed his eyes, trying not to feel everyone's stares piercing his back. Is this what it would be like if everyone really knew my identity? Isolation and resentment? Or is it just the suspicion that's making everyone like this?

A short moment later, the bell rang again. Right as the last ding faded from the air Marinette burst into the classroom, hastily apologizing to no one in particular. Lucky for her, Mrs. Bustier hadn't come in yet.

Marinette quickly jogged to her seat and sat down. Adrien lifted his head and turned, smiling in greeting. Marinette smiled back, her eyes shifting as Mrs. Bustier entered. Adrien glanced up at the rest of his classmates for a moment, feeling another pang of loneliness before turning to pay attention. I should be used to being ignored. My father does it all the time. Adrien thought bitterly, pulling out some paper as Mrs. Bustier had instructed them to do. He looked up at his teacher, and when he caught her eye, she gave him a curious look before looking away and at the rest of the class. What was that? Anger? Confusion? Fear? Probably a combination of all three.

And so the day continued on as usual. Well, as usual as avoiding mobs and pesky students can be. When the bell finally rang, Adrien instantly bolted out of the classroom and out of the school, slipping past a group of students who exploded with loud exclamations and questions as they stood at the steps. The silver car that Adrien now viewed as a refuge was already pulled up to the curb, and he quickly jumped into it. Adrien's bodyguard, which he called Gorilla, (for obvious reasons) quickly sped away from the school, catching onto Adrien's rush to get away as fast as possible.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief and reached into his pocket, grabbing his ring. He was about to put it on when he remembered something that could've turned extremely bad. Gorilla will see Plagg. Adrien had to bite back a groan as he slipped the black ring back into his pocket, putting his hand over it

He could feel the bulge where the ring lay. He really really would like to have his miraculous on at the moment. He didn't feel safe without it. Dependent on my ring. Plagg would tease me until his appetite for Camembert worn out. He thought to himself as he looked out the car window.

It didn't take long to get home. When they did, Adrien got out of the car, thanked Gorilla who grunted in response, and made his way to his room. Before he went in, Adrien glanced over at his father's "private" office, but the door was closed. Sighing, Adrien walked into his room and shut the door behind him. He was about to collapse on his bed when his phone buzzed, accompanied by a small beep. He glanced down to find that he had a text from Marinette.

**You ok? You bolted out of class really fast.**

Adrien couldn't help but smile. Just like Mari to be worried about him. He quickly texted back and sent the message.

**I'm fine. Just didn't want to be mobbed again.**

It didn't take her long to reply.

**I'm sorry, Chaton. We'll figure something out about that.**

I sure hope so.

**Thanks Princess.**

A short moment passed before Marinette responded. Adrien was sure it was because of her adorable giggle that always came whenever he called her a pet name.

**Silly kitty. I'm gonna invite Alya and Nino over. Wanna come? We can play Mecha Strike III.**

Adrien's smile widened. Who could deny an offer like that?

**I'll be there.**

Turning off his phone and setting it on his bed, Adrien quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his ring again. He hesitated. Again. Alya and Nino are going to be there. This time Adrien didn't bite back anything. He groaned loudly, shoving the ring back into his pocket. He was getting frustrated with all of this. When would everything just blow over? But he knew that if anyone saw his ring on his hand now, especially now, the constant reporters, cameras, and mobs would never end. "Sorry Plagg." Adrien mumbled as he left his room, even though he knew his kwami couldn't hear him.


	5. Mecha Strike III

-Nino-

"Hey guys!" Adrien said as he opened up the trapdoor that led to Marinette's room. He climbed in with a smile on his face. Nino smiled back and waved.

"Hey dude, what's up?" He asked, glancing at Adrien's hand. No ring. I could've sworn he always wore one.

Adrien shrugged and went over to sit by Marinette, just like how Nino was sitting with his girlfriend, Alya. Ever since Marinette and Adrien had confessed that they were, in fact, dating, they had been going on double dates ever since.

"I'll get the game started up." Marinette suggested, turning in her desk chair and turning on her computer. Adrien glanced at his girlfriend for a moment before turning to look at Nino and Alya. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Did you guys finish the homework yet?" He asked.

Nino exchanged a look with Alya. Something's off with Adrien. I don't blame the guy. Everyone's been on his tail because of some stupid rumor two girls started. Alya gave him a look that echoed his own thoughts. "Dude are you okay? I wish people would stop mobbing you." Nino asked Adrien.

Adrien flinched ever so slightly, like the question had jabbed him in the shoulder. "I'm fine. It'll probably just blow over." He said with a shrug.

Alya frowned. "You're not fine, Adrien. Are those stupid reporters still at your house?"

"Aren't you a reporter?" Marinette asked over her shoulder, smiling playfully as the game started up. Nino saw Adrien give Marinette a grateful glance.

Alya's frown deepened until it was obvious it was fake. "Come on, Mari. I'm only a low key... journalist." She mumbled the last word, guiltily glancing at Adrien. But again, the blonde model shrugged as if it didn't bother him. But Nino knew his best friend better. He knew it did bother him. He just didn't want to show it. If he showed how much it bothered him, everyone would seize upon it and claim it was because he was struggling to hide his identity of Chat Noir. Nino almost laughed at the idea. Like his best friend of all time would keep something that big from him. Nino was his right hand man.

"I'm just kidding, Alya." Marinette continued, laughing. She grabbed a controller and handed it to Adrien. "You guys okay if Adrien and I play the first round?"

"Yeah, yeah. It'll probably be over in a few seconds. Mari's gonna pulverize you, blonde boy." Nino said with an impish grin on his face.

Adrien smiled as he looked over at his girlfriend. "We'll see." He replied, turning towards the screen as the two chose their characters. Marinette picked her favorite, the Ladybug themed robot, while Adrien chose his favorite, the... Nino blinked a few times, just to make sure he had seen it right. Adrien had completely skipped over his favorite character to play, the cat themed robot, and selected a totally random one. It wasn't even that good. Nino was about to say something about it when Marinette started the fight. Instantly Marinette started to fight, her fingers dancing over the controller as if she were trying to tickle it. Adrien furiously punched at the buttons, but he didn't seem to be that into it.

Why would Adrien skip over his best character? It's not like we're gonna think he's Chat Noir just because he chose a cat themed character. Besides, he doesn't even have the ring... But even as Nino thought about it, he couldn't help but feel some doubt. Maybe he really is Chat Noir... No! That's impossible! He would tell me... wouldn't he?

Nino's prediction from before was right. The battle was over in approximately ten seconds. Probably because Adrien was inexperienced with the random character he had chosen. Marinette tossed the controller on the desk and stood, cheering and laughing. Adrien laughed as well, but Nino couldn't help but notice how hollow it sounded. Alya stood and high fived Marinette, shouting "Yeah, you go girl!" And laughing along with her. Nino leaned over to Adrien, punching him in the shoulder.

"Tough luck, Bud." Nino said, smiling for good measure. He understood why Adrien was acting all gloomy. What he didn't understand was why he acted like... well, like he was trying to convince them that he wasn't a famous superhero. Quit thinking like that! He scolded himself. You should be helping your friend, not believing that stupid rumor!

"Nino, Alya, wanna see who's dominant in your... relationship?" Marinette asked, holding out the controllers to each of them while bouncing her eyebrows in a teasing way.

Alya laughed. "Nino is going down!" She snatched the controller and looked at Nino, a horrifying glint of determination sparkling in her eye.

"Fat chance of that happening." Nino replied, winking.

The game started with a click of a button. Literally. Nino and Alya quickly pushed buttons and wiggled joysticks, trying desperately to pound the other into dust. Once again, quite literally. Nino was just about to punch the heck out of Alya's character when a small headache began to form in the back of his mind. Naturally he ignored it, but it was still there, like a shadow hovering over the ground.

Alya cried out in excitement as her character charged up a strong attack, about to defeat Nino. Before that could happen, Alya's smile faded and she stopped playing. Her character stopped charging its attack, and Nino, spotting the perfect opportunity, was about to win when the headache gave a surprisingly sharp jab. He winced slightly, but then the pain was gone.

Huh? What's this? Nino looked down at the controller that lay dormant in his hands. He set it on the desk and looked up at the screen in front of him. Alya did the same.

"What's this?" Nino asked, turning to face Adrien and Marinette as he echoed his thoughts.

"Yeah, is it some sort if video game?" Alya asked, nodding her head towards the screen. The two teens in front of them exchanged glances before Marinette answered.

"Its Mecha Strike Three. You were literally just playing it, remember?"

Nino stared at Marinette, subconsciously noting that his headache had returned. "No." He replied. He glanced at Adrien, who was staring at him like he was a ghost.

"We were just playing it?" Alya repeated, confused.

Nino racked his brain for an answer, until he let out a sarcastic laugh. "Ooh haha. I get it. Very funny guys." Nino stood, folding his arms across his chest.

"N-no we're serious! Here look, we'll play it and show you." Adrien said, glancing at Marinette. The two quickly got up and switched Nino and Alya places, taking the controllers. They clicked some buttons, choosing some sort of robot character. With another click of a button, the screen changed to show a small battlefield, Marinette and Adrien's characters on opposite sides of the screen, preparing to fight as they faced each other. The battle, at least that's what Nino assumed what it was, had started. Marinette and Adrien's characters fought each other for a little while before Marinette paused the game and turned around.

"Do you remember now?" Marinette asked, a strange look in her eyes. It was almost like she had experienced something like this before.

Alya shook her head while Nino shrugged. "Sorry dude... but no." He said. Adrien looked like he was gonna be sick.

"Should we know it?" Alya asked.

Marinette silently nodded, while the color drained from Adrien's face. "Adrien? You okay?" Nino asked. Adrien didn't respond. Marinette glanced at her boyfriend with a worried expression before looking back at Nino and Alya.

"Maybe you guys should go home and get some rest." She suggested.

"Woah wait. Girl. We should tell your parents this, or something." Alya said. Nino nodded along with her. Why would we just forget something like this? Who's the problem? Adrien and Marinette, or Alya and me?

Marinette shook her head. "I'm sure it's fine. Just get some sleep."

"But-" Alya tried, but Adrien interrupted her.

"I-I'm gonna grab some water." He said, standing up. He seemed unstable. "Sorry. My head hurts." He added, his voice fading even as he said it. He hastily walked to the trap door and climbed out of the room.

Marinette stared at the trap door for a moment, obviously debating about something. Alya bit her lip. "Is Adrien okay?" Marinette looked back at the two of them. "Mari, what aren't you telling us?"

"I'll explain... later. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Marinette replied, standing up. She helped Alya stand while Nino stood on his own. Marinette led them out of her room and through the bakery. Adrien was nowhere to be seen.

Before Marinette could push Nino and Alya out of the door, Nino stopped and turned to Marinette. "Is Adrien sick? Seriously is the dude okay?" He asked.

Marinette nodded, but even with her smile she looked unconvinced of her own words. "Yeah he's just tired from the rumor going around. I'll talk to him."

Nino and Alya exchanged looks. "Well... Okay." Alya said, giving Marinette a comforting smile. "If you need anything though, just call. We've got your back."

"Thanks guys. I'll keep you updated." Marinette said, smiling back. She opened the door for them and closed it as they walked out.

"What do you think is wrong with Adrien?" Alya asked Nino, taking his hand as they walked from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

Nino shrugged. "I don't know. But that was really weird."

"Yeah..."

After awhile of walking Nino dropped Alya off at her house. With a quick kiss between the two Nino walked off towards his own home. When Alya's home faded from sight Nino paused, stepping out of the way as people continued to walk past him. He blinked a couple times, feeling that empty frustration that always came with a brain fart. Which way's home again? He thought to himself. He thought about calling someone, but he decided against it. Whatever. He grudgingly pulled out his phone and typed in his address, following his phone home through the winding streets and buildings.


	6. Festering Doubt

-Marinette-

"Thanks guys. I'll keep you updated." Marinette said, closing the door as Nino and Alya left the bakery. I probably won't. She thought to herself, turning and walking back to her room, chatting with her parents who were working the bakery for a few seconds.

Adrien was already in her room when she got back. He was sitting on her desk chair, leaning on his knees with his head in his hands. "My head hurts." He said quietly, lifting his head to look at Marinette.

He's said that before. Back before Imperiumal took over him. Marinette thought to herself as she sat down next to him.

"But it's not that bad." He added quickly, flashing a smile. "It's just a dull throb, like something's hurting that isn't really there."

"Do you remember anything? Do you think you're getting your memories back?" Marinette asked, knowing already she'd be denied the answer she wanted.

Adrien shook his head. "No." He said, sighing. "What do you think was wrong with Nino and Alya?"

"I don't know. But we've played that game for years! How could they just forget it?" Marinette said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder to Mecha Strike III, which was still on.

"Do you think it has something to do with...?" Adrien trailed off, but Marinette knew what he was going to say.

Adrien defeated Imperiumal. Fair and square. Even if he had to sacrifice a month. "No. You defeated him. I don't think he could still be affecting people."

"But they forgot the game, just like how I forgot... you know..."

A month of my life. "You're right. We weren't cautious enough last time. We should go see Master Fu." Marinette suggested. Adrien nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ring, putting it onto his finger. A huge wave of relief seemed to wash over him, and he smiled as Plagg appeared in a flash of green.

"Finally." The black kwami sighed, zipping around the room. "Where's my Camembert?!" He shouted, stopping right in front of Adrien's face.

Adrien's smile turned guilty. "Sorry Plagg, but we need to go see Master Fu. I'm sure he has some."

Plagg's scowl deepened. "Fine." He growled, giving Adrien the death glare. Tikki flew out of her hiding place and hovered in between Adrien and Plagg, her tiny hands on her tiny hips.

"Plagg, you can stand to be without cheese for five more minutes." She said.

Plagg sniffed in distaste. "Easy for you to say. You weren't cooped up in your miraculous all day."

Tikki sighed. "Please Plagg, for me. Just keep quiet for a little while longer."

"Fine." Plagg replied, not as murderous sounding as when he had answered Adrien. "Only for the Camembert." He said, eyeing Tikki as Marinette and Adrien transformed. Now transformed, they climbed onto Marinette's balcony and leaped off into the afternoon air.

Ladybug lightly knocked on the front door. She always felt uncomfortable and self conscious coming here, even though it had become quite the familiar experience. Chat was standing right next to her, looking just as unnerved. They both detransformed as the door was opening.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, I assume you have critical information to share." Master Fu said as he opened the door, a small smile spread across his face even though Marinette always came with horrible news. He stepped aside as Marinette and Adrien walked in. He closed the door behind them and walked to sit on the cushion on the floor in front of two others. "What is it that you need to inform me of?" Master Fu asked, taking a cup from Wayzz and pouring some tea into it.

"Um... Well, it's kind of... weird." Marinette started, taking a cup from Wayzz as well. But before she could continue, Plagg zipped up into the air.

"Wait! No! I need my Camembert!" He exclaimed, turning to glare at his holder. "You promised." He said scornfully. Adrien sighed.

Master Fu raised a gray eyebrow. "Very well." He said, standing up. He walked out of the room.

"Plagg!" Tikki flew up to meet Plagg in the air. "Camembert is the lowest of our priorities right now."

Plagg looked appalled. "A promise is a promise. No matter how small." He said with a firm nod.

Tikki sighed just as Master Fu walked back in with a plate of stinky cheese. Adrien glared at the Camembert with absolute distaste as Master Fu placed the plate on the ground. Plagg squealed happily and dove onto the platter, ripping into the cheese ravenously.

"Go on, Marinette." Master Fu prompted, sitting back down, seemingly unperturbed by Plagg's loud noises of excitement and loving words for his beloved Camembert.

"Well.... Um... Adrien and I were hanging out with our friends, Alya and Nino, and we were playing this video game called Mecha Strike Three. Adrien and I played a round, and then when Nino and Alya tried they... They forgot it."

Master Fu's head snapped up, his eyes wide before they narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It was like all of their memories of the game just... disappeared. They didn't remember it at all. They didn't even know what it was." Marinette explained.

Master Fu's eyebrows came together as he looked down at his tea. "Peculiar." He muttered.

Adrien stared down at his own cup of tea that Wayzz had gotten him, a strange look in his eyes. Marinette silently placed a hand on his thigh. He looked up at her and smiled gratefully.

"Anything else about this matter?" Master Fu asked, his eyes flashing to Marinette's hand on Adrien's thigh for a split second.

Adrien looked slightly uncomfortable, but he still opened his mouth. "When all of this was going on, I got a headache." He said, putting a hand over Marinette's.

"Elaborate." Master Fu said, knitting his hands together.

"It started when Nino said they didn't know what the game was. It was really faint at first, and then it grew. But it didn't get bad at all. Just a really soft pulse." Adrien said.

"And have you ever had one of these headaches before?"

"No." Adrien answered.

Master Fu nodded, as if he already knew all of the answers. "Well, it's clear that there isn't much we can do." He paused as Adrien and Marinette nodded. "All we can do is wait and see how this develops. Inform me if this ever happens again."

Again, the two teenagers nodded. Master Fu turned his attention to Adrien. "And Adrien, tell me if your head starts to hurt again as well. I'm worried this will lead to something much worse it we don't stay wary. During patrols, do not let your guard down. Especially around civilians. If Imperiumal is indeed back, he could be festering inside anyone's mind."

"So then you think he's back? You think Imperiumal somehow returned?" Marinette asked.

Master Fu's face turned grim. "I believe anything is possible when concerning the miraculouses. Best of luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir." The old man stood, following Marinette and Adrien out the door. "Do not become idle. If Imperiumal ever appears again, you'll need to have the sharpest of reflexes." He added before softly closing the door.

Marinette turned away from the door. "Is your head still hurting?" She asked Adrien, who looked better than before, even though Master Fu had just said to be wary.

He shook his head, mustering a smile. "I feel better, actually. I'm guessing we shouldn't finish our patrol, though."

Marinette smiled in return. "We better get out of here. Who knows who's watching." Adrien nodded and together they transformed and leapt away.


	7. Slight Change of News

-Marinette-

Marinette sat at her desk, writing in her journal as the reporters on the news babbled away on her computer. She paused in her writing, glancing up at her screen. A picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir came up behind the reporters who sat at an official looking counter.

"And now we'll turn it over to Steven, who's currently at the Agreste residence." One man said, smiling an obvious fake smile before the screen changed to show Steven. He was dressed in a suit coat and was holding a microphone, giving the camera a smile just as fake as the others.

"I'm here at the Agreste Mansion in hopes to catch a glimpse of Adrien Agreste, who is supposedly Chat Noir." Steven said, the camera panning slightly to show Adrien's huge mansion behind him.

Marinette frowned. "You've probably been there for days." She mumbled, glaring at the screen as Steven continued to chatter on about the rumor and how "crazy" and "totally true" it was. Marinette sighed as her eyes fell away from Steven the reporter. She continued to write in her journal, resting her head on her free hand. "Tikki, I'm worried about him." She said quietly.

"Who?" Tikki asked, who was sitting next to Marinette's journal with a cookie in her tiny two arms. Well, it was leaning on her more than it really was her holding it.

"Adrien!" Marinette answered, glancing at the reporter on the screen, who was still rattling on about that stupid rumor. However, now the screen was split in two with the man from the counter on one half and Steven on the other. "At this rate, the excitement is never going to wear off about Adrien's identity."

Tikki took a small bite from her chocolate chip cookie. "Don't worry, Marinette. At least it's just a rumor, right?"

"About the Agreste family, Steven, has there been any word from Gabriel Agreste? I've heard he hasn't been seen since that akuma Blaze attacked the city." The man at the counter said, his hands laced together as they rested on the counter in front of him. Marinette's head shot up, and she turned up the volume on her computer.

"It's true, Jeremy. Mr. Agreste hasn't been seen or heard from for about a month. However, his industry is still running smoothly. It's simply another mystery to uncover." Steven replied, nodding.

Marinette looked over at Tikki. "I hate to say it, but they've got a point. He hasn't shown his face in forever. Adrien and I even tried looking for him in his office but Nathalie stopped us."

"He's a reclusive guy, Marinette. He almost never shows his face. Those reporters are blowing it up like a balloon to get more attention." Tikki said, looking at Marinette's computer screen with a sour look.

"I guess you're right." Marinette agreed. But Adrien's really worried about his father. I know he almost never wants to be seen, but it's been so long...

"Thank you Steven. Just last night a major car wreck blocked traffic. Miraculously, no one was killed. John is currently at the hospital, speaking with one of the victims in the wreck. John?" The newsman Jeremy said, Steven's panel sliding out of the screen.

Marinette's eyes snapped back to the screen. "Wait... John? Wasn't he Imperiumal?" A new panel slid onto the screen, showing a lanky man with black hair, holding a microphone. That's not John. Marinette thought to herself, curious to see what this other John had to say.

The reporter John was standing in a white hospital room, with equipment and a picture of a lake and mountains behind him. "Thank you, Jeremy." John said, nodding his head to no one in particular.

"John, can you tell us what happened last night?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes, of course. This silver car suddenly stopped in the middle of the intersection, and a black van t-boned into it." John explained, a silent video playing as he talked of the scene. The silver car was completely smashed in the side. The black van sat smoking next to it, it's front all smashed up into twisted metal. Other cars were gathered around the two, some with scrapes and scratches while others had dents. A few had headlights missing and shattered windows. Paramedics were scurrying around, carrying people on stretchers. Ambulances blinked around the scene, their bright lights playing along with the chaos.

Marinette's gut twisted. I should've been there. She thought to herself guiltily.

"Surprisingly," John continued, once again catching Marinette's attention. "The driver of the silver car, Lindie, has a peculiar story to tell as to why she stopped in the middle of the intersection." The camera panned slightly to the right and a young girl that looked around 20 who sat in the raised hospital bed, with a bandage around her head and arms. She looked okay, but her eyes were confused like she didn't understand why this was all happening. "Lindie, thank you for letting us talk with you." John said politely.

Lindie smiled. "Yeah, sure." She replied, glancing at the camera before looking back at John.

"Now, what happened in your car that made you stop? Did it break down?"

Lindie shook her head. "No... it was really weird. It was like a brain fart. I just... forgot how to drive for a second and I slammed on the brake. That's when the wreck happened."

John's eyes widened in a look of shock, but Marinette guessed he already knew this. "You forgot?"

"Yeah it was the strangest thing. I remember now, of course, but I don't know if I hit my head, or ate something weird."

"Most strange. Thank you Lindie. We'll catch up with you later." John said, smiling as the camera panned away from Lindie. "Now, on to our-"

Marinette shut off her computer, trying to suppress her conflicted emotions. "We should go tell Master Fu about this." She said to Tikki, biting her lip in worry.

Tikki nodded. "I agree, Marinette, but it's almost eleven. You really need to get to sleep."

Marinette sighed in agreement and quickly got ready for bed. She was just about to lay down when her phone buzzed. Looking over at her lit up screen, she picked up her phone and smiled. It was Adrien. She answered and held the phone to her ear. "Chaton, isn't it a little late?"

"Have you been watching the news?" Adrien asked, his voice clear with concern. He heard about the car crash too.

"Yeah."

"... Do you think we should tell Master Fu?"

Marinette glanced at Tikki, who was watching with intent eyes. "We should wait until tomorrow after school. It's already pretty late."

Adrien paused for a second, no doubt mulling the thought over. "Okay. You're right." The phone went silent for a moment, until Adrien spoke again, his voice quiet. "My head hurts again."

Instantly Marinette's stomach clenched, and she tried to cover the worry in her voice. "Is it bad?"

"No." Adrien replied, which released some of the tension from Marinette's back. "But... I think Imperiumal is still out there." He said, his voice tinged with fear.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah."

Marinette hesitated for a moment more before talking again, the tension already having formed. "We should scour the city then. Next time we patrol we'll be extra careful and we'll look for him."

"Sounds like a plan." Adrien replied, but even with just his voice Marinette could tell there was something more he wanted to say.

"You okay?" Marinette prompted.

Another pause. "Well, honestly, I'm scared, Mari. I know I shouldn't be, since I forgot all of my nightmares you told me about, but... If it really was that bad, I don't want to experience it again, even if I don't remember the first time it happened. My imagination is running wild with what it was like. You know, with him in my mind."

"Don't worry. I'm scared too." Marinette said. She laid down in her bed and pulled the covers over her, turning off the lights. She hated it, but she couldn't get the image of Chat's eyes flickering between green and gold out of her mind. That was probably the most terrifying akuma battle she'd ever been through. Mostly because of how helpless she felt. When Chat fell along with Imperiumal, she had no idea what was happening or if Chat would come out of this alive. The terror and despair she had felt then was threatening to swallow her whole until Chat's eyes opened. She had burst into tears, the relief flooding her shaking frame. But then... Then he had told her he didn't remember. Marinette closed her eyes for a moment, breathing through her nose to calm her racing heart. She wouldn't break down now. Adrien needed her. Paris needed her. "But there's not much we can do."

"Yeah..." Adrien sighed through the phone, the sound crackling in Marinette's ear.

Another fifteen minutes drifted by as Marinette talked with Adrien, but soon they both agreed that it was too late to talk anymore. Wishing each other good night, Marinette hung up and put her phone on her nightstand, rolling over and pulling the covers up to her chin. In the almost deathly quiet room, she could hear Tikki fly over to her small makeshift bed. The kwami whispered good night to Marinette, and she returned the call.

As sleep slowly overcame her, Marinette wished in her heart that Imperiumal still wasn't out there, lurking in the city's shadows with his beguiling indigo gaze and a shimmering golden pendulum clutched in his hand.


	8. Mental Hiccups

-Adrien-

Adrien quickly jogged into class, even though he knew he was about twenty minutes early. Glancing around his classroom as he entered, Adrien spotted Nathaniel, Mylene, and Ivan all either reading, doing heaven knows what on their phones, or working on an assignment. To avoid attention, Adrien quietly slid into his seat. He pulled out some homework from a different class and began to work on it. He didn't even notice that ten minutes had slipped by until Alya, Nino, and almost half of his class walked in. Nino and Alya took their seats and almost everyone else did. The only ones left standing in the front of the classroom were Alix, Kim, and Rose.

The three of them all stood next to each other, looking at the many benches with puzzled expressions. Alix leaned over and whispered to Kim, pointing at the various empty spots at the desks. Kim shrugged while Rose looked over at them with wide eyes that looked like they were almost begging to get out of attention.

Finally, Alix turned her attention to Nino and Adrien. "Do you know where I sit? I don't remember." Adrien stiffened at those words. I don't remember.

Nino gave them a confused look. "You sit next to Mylene." Nino said, nodding his head over to where Mylene sat with a similar expression of confusion. Alix nodded as if she just remembered.

"Oh... right. Thanks." She said. And without a second glance, she strutted over to her seat and sat down. Mylene whispered something to her, and Alix just shrugged.

"Uh... Where do I sit again?" Kim asked.

Rose raised a timid hand as if she needed to signal when she was going to speak. Judging by how quiet she could be at times, she probably did need to signal so that people didn't talk over her. "Um... I don't remember either." She muttered, her cheeks a tint of pink with embarrassment.

Nino gave them a similar look that he'd given Alix before directing them to their seats. "You okay dude?" He asked Kim before he left.

Kim nodded. "Of course I'm okay. Don't get all motherly over me just because I had a stupid brain fart."

"Alright, alright. Whatever." Nino said, shrugging as Kim left to sit.

They forgot just like how Nino and Alya forgot about Mecha Strike III. Adrien stared down at his homework, pushing his nerves and panicking thoughts away. He needed to focus. After school they'll go see Master Fu.

The bell soon let out its shrill melody, and everyone's conversations slowly puttered out as Mrs. Bustier walked in. She greeted everyone with a smile before starting the lesson. It was then when Marinette burst into the class. Late once again. She hastily apologized to Mrs. Bustier who pulled out a clipboard.

As Marinette sat down, Alya whispered to her. It was just loud enough that Adrien could pick up what she said. "Cutting it close, are we now?" Alya said.

"What else is new?" Marinette whispered back.

"Alright now class, get out your textbooks and turn to page 58." Mrs. Bustier instructed, and everyone obeyed. The door opened, and Mr. Damocles stuck his head into the room.

"Mrs. Bustier." He said quietly, opening the door wider. Without hesitation the teacher walked out of the classroom, and the door shut behind her. A few minutes passed, and just as everyone began to start up conversations again, Mrs. Bustier walked back in.

"Alright now class, get out your textbooks and turn to page 112." She instructed, turning her back to us as she began to write on the chalkboard.

Kim raised his hand. "You mean 58?" He asked, without waiting for permission. Mrs. Bustier turned back around, obviously confused.

"I never said that." She said confidently.

"Before you left to talk to Mr. Damocles you told us to turn to page 58." Marinette explained, gesturing at all of the textbooks who were open to the same page to prove her point.

Mrs. Bustier's eyes widened slightly. "Oh that's right! Sorry class, I must have forgotten." She smiled politely. "Yes, page 58. Read through till page 60 silently to yourself."

Everyone obeyed, even though a soft wave of whispers floated over everyone's heads before it became silent. Adrien was getting nervous. He stared down at his textbook, pretending to read, but his mind was completely elsewhere. 'Oh, that's right! Sorry class, I must have forgotten.' Adrien repeated that over and over in his head, not noticing that he was clutching his hands tighter on the book. He blinked a few times, discarding his thoughts of fear. If I don't concentrate my school work will perish. I'll worry about this when we go talk to Master Fu. He told himself before starting to read the straight, perfect letters.

Students milled around the cafeteria, searching for their friends. Adrien walked among them, watching with hawk like eyes for any signs of a flash mob forming around him. But none came. No one even looked at him as he sat next to Marinette. Nino and Alya were already eating across the table from them, laughing as Nino showed Alya something on his phone. Once Adrien set his tray on the table, Nino put his phone away.

"Hey dude! Took you awhile." He said with a bright smile.

"Yeah sorry." Adrien replied distractedly. He was too busy looking around at all of the students around him. No one looked his away or murmured behind his back. What's going on? Why the sudden change? "I was trying to avoid another mob." He lied, looking at Nino and Alya. He was testing them to see if they found any of this peculiar. Usually students were swarming their table to ask if Adrien was Chat Noir.

Alya's nose wrinkled in confusion. "Mob? I mean, I get that you're a model and everything, Adrien, but I haven't seen any mobs." She glanced over her shoulder. "Although there's always that group of girls who won't stop giggling at the sight of you."

"But what about that rumor?" Adrien asked.

"What rumor?" Nino replied, taking a bite out of his turkey sandwich.

Adrien looked over at Marinette, who was giving him the same puzzled expression that he was sure he was wearing. "The rumor that I'm Chat Noir?" Adrien clarified.

Nino burst out laughing. Alya raised an eyebrow. "No offense, Adrien, but there's no way you're Chat Noir." Alya said.

Adrien felt two emotions at the same time as Alya rolled her eyes at her boyfriend who was laughing so hard that he was choking on turkey. First, he felt relief. A huge weight seemed to lift off of his shoulders. Apparently no one thought he was Chat Noir anymore. However, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. This just screams of Imperiumal. He's back. I know it.

The rest of the day passed by as fast as it had started, and Adrien soon found himself back at home. He had the news on, and he couldn't help but stare at the screen. When he'd gotten back from school he was surprised to find no reporters crowding the mansion gates. No cameras or dancing microphones. Again, Adrien had felt relief, but that relief was tinted with uneasiness. So, to prove that everyone really had forgotten, he was scouring the news to find any suspicion of his superhero identity.

"And now, onto the wea-" Adrien turned off his computer, trying to decide if he should be relieved or tense. The news didn't say anything about Ladybug or Chat Noir. No one mentioned him, or his father.

"So I guess everyone just forgot?" Plagg said, hovering next to Adrien. Surprisingly without any Camembert.

Adrien shrugged as a smile broke out across his face. He should be relieved, if not for just a little bit. "I guess not. You know what this means, right Plagg?"

"What?"

"It means no more flash mobs at school, no more dodging reporters right outside my house, and no more whispering and murmuring behind my back!" Adrien said happily. His smile wavered slightly. "But... Don't you think this is really similar to what Imperiumal did to me? He erased my memory, right? So what if he's still out there somehow?"

Plagg's nose scrunched up in distaste. "I can't help but agree with you, kid." He said. "But we should try to enjoy a relaxing night before we worry about that. You need it."

Adrien nodded, the smile having returned. "Only if you'll let me."

Plagg shrugged. "What are kwamis for?" Adrien's smile widened.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chat always loved how the night air whipped across his face, playing and twirling with his hair along the way. He leaped extra high across a street, turning in the air as he whooped. He landed with a roll on the next rooftop and continued to run. He stopped near the Eiffel Tower, where tourists and citizens were milling around to watch the famous tower light up.

Some people caught sight of him and waved, shouting up at him. Chat waved back down at them, and with his heightened senses he could tell that everyone was only shouting at him for an autograph or a picture. Heart light, Chat placed two fingers to his forehead and saluted the crowd before leaping away.

Occasionally he stopped by a large group of people, his feet becoming lighter and lighter as no one mentioned Adrien at all. Still, there was that slight suspicion that always made Chat's ears flatten against his head when he wasn't smiling and waving to the people below. This is Imperiumal's doing. There's no way in history that everyone would all just collectively forget overnight.

Soon, Chat found himself on Marinette's balcony. He smiled as always at the sight of the lights that were always delicately strung across the balcony. This place, without fail, radiated with happiness and a sense of safety.

Chat kneeled down and lightly knocked on the glass trapdoor. It didn't take long for Marinette to answer. She had her hair down, and the sight of her peaceful demeanor made Chat's smile grow.

"Why hello, Princess." Chat said, reaching down to help Marinette out of her room. She was still wearing her clothes from school.

"My knight." She replied with a smile, playfully kissing him on the cheek.

Chat pulled Marinette closer. "You missed." He said quietly, leaning in for a kiss. Marinette pushed him away with one finger to the nose, like how she'd done as Ladybug many times before.

"That can wait, silly kitty." She replied. "Now why did you decide to visit me tonight?"

"Well, despite wanting to check up on my lady," He paused, hating to disrupt the calm mood. "We need to go see Master Fu."

Marinette nodded, her smile turning into a determined and firm set line. "Right. I'd almost forgot."

Chat watched with a fluttering heart and pink tinted cheeks as Marinette transformed into Ladybug, her hair still down around her shoulders and dancing in the soft night breeze.

Ladybug looked at Chat, and put her hands on her hips. "What's with the look?" She said with a smile.

"You look beautiful with your hair down." He replied.

Ladybug's cheeks flushed pink before a mischievous look came over her. "Are you saying I don't look beautiful with pigtails?"

Chat's heart leaped. Crap... "Uh, no. No of course not! You look great no matter what-"

As swift as the air itself, Ladybug swooped in and lightly kissed Chat on the lips, cutting off his rant. She pulled away, leaving Chat wanting more. "Chaton, you know I was joking, right?"

Chat blinked a few times before finally dissecting what had just happened. "You caught me by the tail, m'lady."

Ladybug laughed and she jumped off of the balcony, throwing out her yo-yo and swinging across the street. Chat quickly followed suit, extending his baton to vault himself over.

"So besides Mrs. Bustier forgetting and that girl forgetting how to drive, is there anything else we should talk to Master Fu about?" Ladybug asked as they stopped on a rooftop.

Chat nodded. "Yeah... Before you came in Alix, Kim and Rose all forgot where they sat." He explained.

Ladybug turned her eyes to the ground like how she always did when thinking. "They just forgot like how Mrs. Bustier did?"

"Yeah and they didn't seem to remember when we told them."

"Is there anything else?"

"Well..." Now Chat only felt nervous and anxious. The relief was gone. "Didn't you notice how...?"

"How everyone at school just seemed to forget about that rumor?" Ladybug finished.

Chat nodded. "Yeah, well... There weren't any reporters at the mansion, and when I looked at the news, they never mentioned us, the rumor, or my father."

"So that means no more mobs, right?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm super relieved that that's all over, but don't you think this just screams of Imperiumal? Everyone forgetting random everyday knowledge?" Chat said.

Ladybug sighed. "Yeah. I was thinking that too, no matter how much I hate thinking about that stupid akuma." She looked up into Chat's eyes. "I've been filled with doubt ever since Nino and Alya forgot about Mecha Strike Three, but I didn't want him to be back, so I convinced myself that he wasn't." Chat recognized the tension in Ladybug's eyes. "So now I'm not sure what to believe."

"Master Fu will have an answer. I'm sure of it." Chat said comfortingly, hating to see that anxiety in his lady's eyes. It reminded him when he had woken up with no memory of the past month to see Ladybug crying. After he'd told her his lack of memories, that same anxiety and disbelief had clouded her gaze.

Ladybug nodded. She smiled confidently. "You're right. Master Fu will have answers." She said, but Chat could see that battle waging in Ladybug's mind. Was Imperiumal back or not?


	9. You Can't Avoid It

-Adrien-

"All of the reporters left my house, and I didn't hear anything about it during the news." Adrien said, finishing explaining everything that had happened.

Master Fu stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "You shouldn't take this for granted." He said, his hand drifting down to rest on his lap.

"Do you think Imperiumal is back?" Marinette asked.

Master Fu's deep and worn eyes turned to Marinette's. "It is the only logical explanation, unless a different akuma has taken the stage."

Marinette took Adrien's hand, squeezing it. Adrien couldn't help but notice how cold they felt. He didn't blame her. Even though he didn't remember that much about the akuma, he remembered those dark indigo eyes and the twinkling golden pendulum. He remembered slowly drifting into the abyss of sleep, not realizing the chain of events it would start. Ever since Marinette told him about the akuma, and how he said he had dreams, he couldn't help but wonder... What was it like? How could you get physically hurt in a dream? What happened in those dreams? He wanted to remember just so he could understand the gravity of the issue of Imperiumal returning, but on the other hand he wanted to stay blissfully ignorant.

"However, we won't ever know for sure until the akuma, or Imperiumal, shows their face. Right now all we can hope to accomplish is to stay safe. If either of you have strange recurring dreams, or your head becomes sore, don't hesitate to tell the other and then report to me." Master Fu instructed.

Marinette stiffly nodded, along with Adrien. Master Fu stood, and the two superheroes followed him to the door.

"Be careful, Ladybug, Chat Noir. Watch each other's backs." Master Fu said, before smiling politely and closing the door behind them.

Adrien looked over at Marinette, who was still holding his hand. Her face was slightly pale, but he could tell that she would be okay. Marinette was strong. He believed that she would stay smiling and positive no matter what happened.

"You okay?" Adrien asked.

Marinette laughed weakly. "Yeah. Sorry. It's funny though."

"What's funny?"

"Back when Imperiumal was still here, I was always the one comforting you. Now I'm relying on you, even though you're the one with the lost memories." Marinette said, sighing.

Adrien smiled sympathetically. "Hey, don't say that. We all need comfort at times."

Marinette's face brightened a little at that. "Thanks, Chaton. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Adrien transformed. "You'd be a damsel in distress." He said quietly.

Marinette giggled lightly as she transformed. "Why did I even ask?" She replied. Together, they leaped away from Master Fu's place. The sun was just beginning to set, casting long shadows down onto the streets below. Soon, they arrived at Marinette's balcony. Ladybug detransformed back to her civilian self, as Chat sat on the railing, his feet dangling over the street.

"Thanks again for earlier." Marinette said softly, leaning back against the railing. Her face had brightened more since leaving Master Fu's.

"That's what superheroes do, right? Saving their princess's hearts." Chat replied.

Marinette's smile grew. "I guess you're right."

A small pause drifted between them until Chat swung his legs over and leaned against the railing like Marinette. "You're amazing, Marinette."

Chat looked over at Marinette, and their eyes met. "How could you say that when you were just barely comforting me?" Marinette asked.

"Because it's the truth. You're strong and confident. You're determined to always save Paris and the ones you love, no matter the cost. I admire that about you." Chat explained softly.

"Chat, I could say that about you too. Don't try to put me on a pedestal." She scooted closer to Chat, laying her head on his shoulder. "But thank you." She added softly.

Chat leaned down and kissed her on the head, his whole body warm and buzzing with happiness and peace. "Anytime m'lady." He turned to face her and leaned down. Their lips met, and time seemed to slow as if it wanted the moment to last longer. Who wouldn't? It was the most peace Chat had felt ever since he'd woken up from Imperiumal's control. He didn't realize how strung up he'd been with doubts, fears, and anxiety. He'd had felt incomplete after hearing he'd lost a month of his life. Even worse, it had been a month with Marinette, a month where they had finally revealed their identities for the first time and had grown together. Now, Chat knew that even though he missed the first time they confessed their love to each other, it wasn't the last. Love was like that. You can't miss it. You can't avoid it.

They parted, and Marinette giggled quietly. Chat smiled brightly, and he felt a surge of protection over his princess. "No matter what happens, Mari, I won't ever let anyone hurt you. Even if Imperiumal really is back. Even if all of the akumas in the world threaten you. Even if Hawk Moth himself decides to intervene."

Marinette snuggled against his chest. "You won't have to protect Paris by yourself, silly kitty. I'll always be by your side."

Chat chuckled. "I like the sound of that." And with that, he turned and jumped up onto the railing, balancing as he saluted his lady. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He said happily, his heart leaping at the thought of spending another day with Marinette.

Marinette's face was bright and hopeful, and again Chat could see that determination and confidence in her eyes. "Of course." She replied. Chat nodded and leapt away, light on his feet.

The sun was just above the horizon now. Chat slowed down a bit, enjoying the fresh evening air. He strutted along the rooftops of Paris, smiling and humming to himself. He paused when distant shouts drifted up to his ears. He looked around until he found the source of the sound down on the streets below. It was a man and a woman. They looked like a couple, but they didn't seem happy. They were pointing up at him and shouting angrily.

He backed away from the edge of the rooftop, running and jumping away from the couple. He felt slightly disturbed. It's funny how fast your emotions can change.

As Chat continued on his way home, he noticed a few other people either glaring at him or pointing up and shouting like the couple from earlier had done. By the time Chat was back in his room and detransformed, all of his bubbly feelings of happiness and hope were diminished.


	10. Anger

-Adrien-

Adrien walked into school, smiling with relief at the thought that no mobs of students would be crowding him. He walked further into the building, sidestepping groups of friends and partnerships.

"Ladybug thinks she's all this and that." A girl said, just loud enough for Adrien to overhear. He paused, looking over at a group of girls who looked a year younger than him.

"I know right?" Another girl replied. "I just with they'd disappear."

"Stupid superheroes don't know their place." Another girl added, and the others nodded in agreement.

Adrien shook his head and forced himself to keep walking. It's like that couple from yesterday, and all of those people shouting and glaring at me. Adrien thought to himself, continuing to walk towards the stairs that led to his classroom.

"Are you joking? I hate Ladybug and Chat Noir!" A boy said loudly.

"Hah! Ladybug and Chat Noir? They're complete idiots!" Another kid protested.

Adrien's heart began racing as he climbed up the stairs. He walked into his classroom and sat down. Surprisingly, Marinette was already there. She looked worried.

"Did you hear all of those people down there? It's like someone flicked a switch in everyone's heads!" Marinette whispered.

Adrien nodded. "It's gotta be Imperiumal."

Marinette bit her lip. "After school we'll go see Master Fu."

"Agreed."

Soon Alya and Nino walked in together. They both sat down and smiled at Adrien and Marinette in greeting.

"What's up, dudes?" Nino asked.

Marinette glanced at Adrien before turning to Alya. "How's the Ladyblog doing?"

Immediately, Alya and Nino both scowled. "I took it down." Alya said flatly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir don't deserve it. They don't deserve anything."

Nino nodded. "They've done nothing but cause problems for everyone."

"You guys talking about Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Kim asked from across the room. All eyes turned to the four friends at the front of the classroom as conversations stopped dead in their tracks.

Marinette nodded hesitantly. "Yeah...? Is that a problem?"

Kim slammed his fist on the table. "You're not the problem! Those wimpy superheroes are!" He proclaimed. The entire class nodded in agreement, and soon the class erupted with the students shouts of hatred for the two superheroes. Adrien's heart felt like lead. He turned and looked at Marinette, who had the same look of disbelief and horror on her face.

"This isn't good." Adrien whispered to Marinette as his friends and classmates continued spouting insults at the once famous Guardians of Paris.

But how could you guard someone who absolutely despises you?

Marinette reached up and knocked on the door. "Master Fu?" She asked, panting. They had both sprinted here, trying to dodge the rocks and trash civilians had thrown at them as they traveled across the rooftops. It was a wonder no one got hit in the head. Apparently, now everyone in Paris hated Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Adrien heard footsteps beyond the door and the knob turned as Master Fu opened the way for them to enter. They did, and Adrien saw Wayzz hovering nearby, with a fearful look in his eyes. He was shaking his head and hands, like a gesture of warning. Master Fu looked at them blankly and stiffly as he turned and walked further into the room. Marinette and Adrien followed, but Adrien was hesitant. The way Wayzz had looked at him was enough to make him nervous.

"Master? We need to talk to you." Marinette said.

"What?" Master Fu spat back, his whole posture rigid.

Marinette glanced at Adrien with concern, a look in her eyes questioning if they should leave. Adrien was about to nod and turn away when Master Fu suddenly lunged at Marinette, yelling. Marinette yelped as they toppled to the ground. Adrien instantly grabbed the old man by the arms and pulled him away from Marinette, who was staring at him in fear.

"I hate you! I hate you both!" Master Fu shouted, struggling in Adrien's grip. "You're pathetic excuses for superheroes! You're not worthy of the miraculous! You're not worthy of ANYTHING!" The old man screeched, finally wrestling out of Adrien's grip. His face was red; his eyes full of fury. He lunged at Adrien, but Adrien sidestepped the attack and he and Marinette quickly ran out of the room, slamming the door behind them. They could hear Master Fu inside still screaming insults about them. They could also hear Wayzz frantically trying to keep Master Fu calm. It wasn't working.

Without a word, Adrien and Marinette both transformed and ran away from the old man who was still screaming inside his room, his kwami desperately trying to keep him contained.

Panting, the two superheroes landed on Marinette's balcony, Ladybug double over as she tried to catch her breath. Chat's mind was spinning. "W-what was wrong with Master Fu?" He asked. Ladybug looked up at Chat, her eyes wide with fear.

"I-I don't know. Why did he attack me? What's going on here?" She replied, asking more questions than Chat could answer.

"Hey! It's Ladybug and Chat Noir!" A man suddenly yelled from the street. Ladybug and Chat looked over the railing, and soon a mob formed beneath them.

"Get out of here lousy superheroes!"

"We don't need you!"

"We don't want you!"

Soon the civilians found rocks and they started to throw them up at the bakery. Chat quickly took out his baton and extended it. He began to spin it, deflecting rocks that would've shattered the bakery window.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir! Get off of my property!" Someone shouted behind them. Chat saw the blood in Ladybug's face drain away. Chat stopped spinning his baton and turned, only to find Tom Dupain-Cheng glaring fiercely at them, rolling pin in hand. "Get off!" He shouted again, swinging the rolling pin threateningly. Ladybug and Chat backed away until they were against the railing. Chat looked at Ladybug with worry. She was frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Ladybug, let's go." Chat said quietly to his partner, taking her hand and leading the way as they leapt across the street and away from Tom and the mobs angry shouts and insults. Away from the place Chat had called his sanctuary. His home.

The superheroes continued running and jumping, avoiding trash and rocks that were thrown up at them. They continued to run until they made it to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Looking over his shoulder, Chat could see civilians running towards them with angry, flushed faces. He looked at Ladybug, and despite her pale face, she nodded and they began to climb.

It didn't take them long, especially with the angry mob below them forcing them to speed up. Once they got up at the top, Ladybug collapsed onto the ground, leaning against the middle of the tower. Chat sat down next to her, both of their chests heaving.

"What's going on?" Ladybug whimpered, putting her head in her hands. "First Master Fu, now my dad, and-"

"Hey, it's okay." Chat said, cutting his lady off. He hated to see her panicked. "We'll work this out. Like we always do. First we'll calm Master Fu down, then we'll do our best to get on everyone's sides again."

Ladybug took a deep breath. "It happened so suddenly." She said, her voice no longer shaky. She was containing her fear and hurt. Chat couldn't imagine how she felt, seeing her father wishing she were gone. Is that how my mother felt about me? Is that why she left? Chat immediately shoved the thought aside. He didn't have time to worry about himself or his mother.

"Imperiumal has to be back." Chat said confidently. "It's either that or a different akuma that's hiding."

Ladybug leaned her head back. She sighed. "Do you think Master Fu's gonna be okay? Do you think the miraculouses are safe with him?"

Chat's hands went cold. The miraculouses. "I'm sure Wayzz will keep them safe. The kwamis can protect themselves." He said comfortingly, smiling and taking Ladybug's hand.

"You're right." Ladybug nodded. She paused. "We need to get back. Dad's probably going to start wondering where I am."

Chat's heart sunk as he thought about his own father. I'll try looking for him again tonight. He thought to himself firmly. "Right."

Ladybug stood, and Chat followed. She was slightly shaky. "Hey, everything's gonna be okay." Chat said, turning Ladybug by the shoulder and hugging her tightly.

Ladybug quickly melted into the embrace, and he could feel her racing heart start to calm down against his chest. "We'll work this out." Ladybug replied, whispering the words into Chat's ear.

Chat hoped she was right. He hoped he was right as well.


	11. The Beginning of the End

-Nooroo-

Nooroo hovered in the cold, stale air. He hated how it felt, swaying in a breeze that never blew. The lair itself was always so dark, yet the white butterflies that rested on the ground seemed to glow as if they were already infused with magic.

"No... stop... please..." Gabriel moaned. he was lying on the ground, clutching his stomach. Nooroo had been quite startled when his master had come up into the lair to send out an akuma, only to pass out onto the ground.

The purple kwami was feeling a variety of emotions seeing his master saying on the floor, twisting and moaning. First, he felt fear. Fear for his master, even if he was cruel. Then there was that guilty relief. Even if Nooroo had become custom to living under the control of evil, he couldn't help but get slightly attached to Gabriel. However, seeing him on the ground gave Nooroo a small sense of hope that maybe if Gabriel didn't wake up he'd be free.

But that wouldn't be possible. He wouldn't be free until his miraculous was out of Gabriel's reach. And that wouldn't happen if Gabriel... passed on.

"EMILIE!" Gabriel suddenly screamed, sitting up rapidly. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his face was pale.

Nooroo hated how he felt concern. He should hate this man. "Are you alright master?" The kwami asked tentatively. "You've been like this for a long time." He added, looking into the wild and panicked gaze of Gabriel's blue eyes.

"Quiet!" Gabriel snapped. Nooroo flinched and backed away, muttering "sorry" under his breath. Gabriel stiffly stood and walked to the platform. His posture was unsteady and his steps were ragged and uneven as he stood onto the hidden exit.

With a sharp click the platform descended and Nooroo was alone. Nooroo quickly phased through the floor, scared that if he stayed in the lair Gabriel would get furious with him. It had happened before.

In the office, Gabriel had his hands on his desk, his head hanging in exhaustion. Nooroo stayed to the opposite side of the room, wishing he knew what was going through his master's head.

Clack. Clack. Nooroo froze for a second as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed behind the door. Gabriel looked over his shoulder at his kwami. The command in his eyes were clear. Nooroo zipped behind a chair just as Adrien walked in.

"Father? I-" Adrien's voice fell away as he stared at Gabriel, who had turned with his hands clasped behind his back. From Nooroo's vantage point, he could see his master's hands shaking. Nooroo could only guess what he was thinking about. Chat Noir... Nooroo's eyes drifted to the silver ring that glinted on Adrien's finger, and he resisted the urge to call out for Plagg.

"F-father what happened to you?" Adrien asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

Gabriel's hands clenched each other tighter. "Nothing concerning you." He said harshly, brushing past his son and walking out of the room. Adrien blinked a few times before turning towards the door. His hands drifted together as he rubbed his ring. Nooroo wanted to fly out from behind the desk and warn Adrien that his father was Hawk Moth, that his father was the man responsible for all of the evil in Paris, but... he didn't. He couldn't bring himself to tell Adrien the horrible news.

Nooroo watched helplessly as Adrien walked out of the office, his shallow breaths echoing throughout the room. Again Nooroo held himself back from darting to Adrien, to meet up with Plagg, to warn him what he guessed Gabriel was planning.

Soon, he would have wished he had.

-Gabriel-

The next morning Gabriel was sitting calmly behind his desk, staring across the room at his wife's portrait as his mind ran over the details that he hoped would work out. No... he didn't hope. He knew. His plans always came out perfectly. Except for that one time... that insufferable cat.

"M-master... Adrien's coming." Nooroo said quietly, phasing through the wall as he hovered in front of Gabriel.

A smile broke out across Gabriel's face. I've got the boy right where I want him. "Very well. Thank you, Nooroo." Gabriel stood and pushed his chair in just as Adrien again walked into the office. Apparently, not only was the boy stubborn he was persistent.

Before Adrien could open his mouth Gabriel lunged at him, shoving the boy onto the ground. Adrien landed hard on his back, and Gabriel assumed his breath was knocked out of him as he lay gasping for air.

"What are you d-doing?!" Adrien asked through breaths, his eyes wide in shock. He shifted his weight underneath his arms as he struggled to stand.

Gabriel smiled. I've got another trick up my sleeve. Purple light swirled around Gabriel and soon Hawk Moth stood in his place. I've missed this.

The blood drained from Adrien's face as the boy looked up at his father. Hawk Moth almost laughed at the look on his face. With one swift motion, Hawk Moth raised his staff and knocked the boy out, letting Adrien sprawl out onto the ground.

Round two, kitten. I win. Hawk Moth thought to himself as he walked over to his wife's painting. He pressed the code on the hidden buttons and swung open the portrait. Soon the vault was open as well and Hawk Moth grabbed the book hidden inside. As Hawk Moth stepped over Adrien's body, he rubbed the book as a million memories ran through his head. This is it... He thought to himself as he set the book down. Trying to contain his excitement, he turned to the only page he was interested in. His fingers brushed over the picture of the being who had obtained both of the Ladybug and Cat miraculous, turning him into an embodiment of power and reality itself.

Hawk Moth turned and walked back to Adrien, kneeling down next to the limp boy. If only you hadn't fought back... He thought to himself with a sigh as he picked up Adrien's cold hand. Silently, he pulled the ring off of his finger and dropped the hand. As he stood he studied the miraculous. One down, one to go.


	12. Simple Trickery

-Marinette-

The empty bench in front of Marinette made her more worried than it should. Alya already told her that Nino was home sick, but what happened to Adrien she didn't know. Which is why she was filled to the brim with anxiety at the moment.

She remembered when Adrien had fallen asleep in class, only to wake up and walk out of the school. It was only later when Marinette had found out that Imperiumal had taken over Adrien's mind. Marinette shuddered as she remembered those golden eyes that stared into hers when Chat was under the akuma's control. She would never get the image of his eyes switching between green and gold as he cried out in pain. That day Marinette had felt so helpless, so useless, as she watched the one she loved in so much pain. Now she hoped that Imperiumal wasn't the reason why Adrien wasn't at school.

Silently to avoid Mrs. Bustier's attention, Marinette pulled her phone out of her bag and quickly sent Adrien a text, trying to push her thoughts aside so that she could focus on the lesson. It didn't take long for her phone to buzz as Adrien replied. She looked down at the dim screen.

I'm okay, don't worry. I saw father in the office and he wanted to keep me from school for a day to catch up. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner.

Marinette bit her lip. She remembered him mentioning to her that he would try to look for his father, and Marinette had doubted that he would find him. I guess I was wrong. Marinette thought to herself. I'll call him after school just to make sure he's okay.

As Marinette walked to the exit of the school, she pulled her phone out again and dialed Adrien, tentatively holding the phone up to her ear.

"Hey sorry I can't come to the phone right now. I'll call you back later!" Adrien's voicemail clicked off and a long beep sounded. Marinette quickly hung up, worry gnawing on her stomach. However, the worry was suddenly lifted as another ping sounded from her phone.

**Sorry I can't talk right now, but I can text.**

Marinette sighed with relief. **Could I come over? I want to make sure you're okay. You tend to get into trouble without me.**

**Haha, I guess so. And yeah, I was just about to ask you to come over anyway.**

Marinette frowned slightly. Something seemed off. But how could you tell through texts? **Okay, see you in a bit.** Marinette replied, slipping her phone back into her pocket. She continued walking, now redirecting her path to Adrien's.

"Don't you think it's odd that Adrien wouldn't tell me when he saw his father? After like two weeks?" Marinette asked Tikki, glancing down at her purse.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you. He was probably busy with catching up with his father." The kwami replied, smiling comfortingly.

Marinette sighed. "Maybe." She said. "But that just doesn't seem like Adrien."

Tikki frowned in consideration. "Well, whatever it is, be careful Marinette."

-Gabriel-

Hawk Moth placed his son's phone back on the table alongside the book and the Cat miraculous. He glanced over his shoulder at Adrien, who was still out cold. I must've hit him harder than I thought. Hawk Moth mused, walking over to the boy and checking the ropes that were wrapped around his wrists. Now we wait. Hawk Moth stood and walked across the floor of his lair, stepping onto the hidden exit. The platform descended and soon he was back in his office. Detransforming, Gabriel walked out of his office and through the lobby to wait for Marinette to arrive.

Soon he spotted the girl as she walked through the open gate and up towards the front door. Silently, he waited for the bluenette to knock. Pausing for a few moments, Gabriel brushed down his white suit before opening up the door with a grim face. "Yes?" He asked in a monotone.

The girl stared up at Gabriel, and he could tell that she was struggling to find the right words. "Hi, sorry, I wan-er... need to see Adrien please?" She spluttered.

"Is that a question or an order?" Gabriel replied, narrowing his eyes.

Marinette bit her lip. "Um... both?" She answered, her face growing a faint tint of red.

Gabriel shook his head disapprovingly, but nevertheless he stepped aside, and Marinette quickly stumbled inside.

"Thanks sir." She said politely. Gabriel didn't reply as he walked past her towards his office. Marinette quickly followed behind him. "Um... excuse me, Mr. Agreste, but um... where have you been? No one's heard of or from you."

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at the timid girl behind him. "Why do you think I care?" He asked coldly. That seemed to shut the girl up.

Once at the office door, Gabriel opened the way up for Marinette as she stepped in. Smiling to himself, Gabriel stepped in and shut the door behind him. Marinette turned, glancing past Gabriel at the shut door.

"Where's A-" Marinette began, only to be cut short as a purple flash brightened her eyes.

Hawk Moth smiled darkly. "Adrien? He's waiting for your arrival, of course."

"Y-you?!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. Hawk Moth couldn't help but see the resemblance between this girl and his son.

Hawk Moth let out a bark of laughter. "Your reaction is surprisingly similar to your kitten's." He said before lifting his staff and knocking Marinette in the side of the head just as he had done to Adrien that morning. The girl instantly crumpled onto the ground, and just as Hawk Moth was about to take her miraculous, her kwami suddenly zoomed out of the girl's bag.

"Don't touch her!" The kwami squeaked, a steel like determination in her gaze.

The villain smirked. "And I'm supposed to obey you?" He asked smugly before taking both of Marinette's earrings out. The red kwami instantly vanished.


	13. A Tale of Two Guardians

-Adrien-

Groaning in pain, Adrien slowly opened his eyes. He instantly felt the ropes biting into his wrists. Adrien sat up, struggling to stay balanced as spots swam in his eyes. At the sound of a groan beside him, Adrien looked over only to see Marinette unconscious on the ground next to him, her wrists tied up as well.

"Marinette?!" Adrien exclaimed, struggling to get closer to her. "Marinette, wake up!"

In response, she stirred, her eyes slowly opening. She moaned quietly. "A-adrien?" She mumbled, looking up at him. "What's going on here?"

Adrien looked around the dark lair, eyeing the white butterflies that rested on the ground. Then it hit him. Hard. "My... father..." He muttered to himself, the shock threatening to swallow him whole. "He's Hawk Moth."

Marinette slowly sat up, her eyes filled with worry and sympathy. "I'm so sorry Adrien... I should've known when he texted me. I shouldn't have come here."

"But h-how's this possible? How can he be Hawk Moth? How could he do this?" Adrien said quietly, tears pricking the back of his eyes. All this time... "I've been fighting my father all this time." He whimpered, wishing he could run back in time and continue living on in blissful ignorance.

Marinette slid closer to Adrien. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out."

Click! The sharp sound echoed around the dome shaped room as Gabriel slowly rose from the platform. His hands were firmly clasped behind his back, and his hard gaze seemed colder than usual. "Well, well, well." Gabriel said with a slight smirk, as if he were holding back laughter. Adrien couldn't believe what he was seeing. What he was hearing. This wasn't his father's voice, even if all he knew of him was stale words and orders. "Seems the kitty and his lady have finally woken up. I dare say it took you an awful long time."

"Gabriel please! It doesn't have to be like this, you don't have to use your miraculous for evil!" Marinette said, a hint of desperation clouding her voice.

Gabriel laughed coldly, the sound echoing harshly throughout the room. "Save your precious words, Ladybug. I've heard them far too many times." His gaze turned to Adrien. "Why, I know you. I was rather familiar with your mind once."

Adrien felt his breath catch in his throat. The tears were close to spilling. "My m-mind?" He repeated, struggling to wake up from his shock.

Gabriel laughed again. "You're slow to catch on, my little superheroes. Haven't you learned yet that looks can be deceiving?" Gabriel suddenly became rigid when a dark, murky figure phased out of him. As Gabriel collapsed unconscious onto the ground, Imperiumal became solid before Adrien and Marinette. His pendulum dangled from his hand, shining brightly in the dark room. Adrien stared at it, his head forming a piercing ache. "Ah, ah, ah, little kitten." Imperiumal said, moving the pendulum behind his back in a taunting way. "Remember the last time you stared into my pendulum?"

That's when Adrien finally understood. All that time when he hadn't seen his father was because of Imperiumal. It was because Imperiumal and his father were fighting for dominion over Gabriel's mind. Adrien's eyes drifted to his father's figure lying dormant on the ground, and he suddenly wished he could shake him awake.

"I-Imperiumal?!" Marinette exclaimed, dumbfounded. "B-but we defeated you!"

Imperiumal laughed. "A mere trick of the eyes." He said, walking towards Gabriel.

"Don't hurt him!" Adrien burst out, his hands straining against their bonds.

Imperiumal turned to face Adrien. "Shouldn't you despise this man? A useless father figure who is nothing more than a demanding shadow, who only ever shows his face through a screen?" The akuma sneered.

Adrien stopped struggling. He's right. Why should I care? He's done nothing for me. Adrien frowned. But I should do something for him. He's my father whether I like it or not.

Imperiumal smiled at Adrien's silence and turned back to Gabriel, bending down and plucking the brooch off of the man's shirt. Instantly a cloudy, purple and black liquid covered Imperiumal. In seconds the akuma was gone, replaced with the young man who had claimed his name to be John. Only now Adrien wasn't sure if that was true.

Marinette scowled at the young man. "At least you weren't fake." She said, an angry tone lurking in her voice.

John smiled darkly. "No, but I'm much more than just an akuma victim." He spat out, his smile widening. His grip on the moth miraculous tightened until his knuckles were white. "Much, much more." Walking calmly towards Marinette and Adrien, his smile faded. "Long ago, the guardians existed to guard the miraculous, and to train those who held them. They practiced lost magic and taught the young ones who wished for power. It was a peaceful time." John stopped in front of Marinette, staring down at her with a fierce glare.

Marinette gave a small gasp as recognition flashed in her eyes. Adrien remembered her telling him about a similar story Master Fu had told her.

John continued his tale. "Although the guardians and the miraculous holders helped the people of Tibet, they began to protest, seemingly without reason." John's eyes narrowed. "The guardians soon discovered that the people's anger grew from jealousy, and a shadowed understanding of the lost arts. They feared the miraculouses." John looked away from Marinette and started to pace around both of the superheroes, his hands still behind his back.

"One guardian became careless, despite obvious warnings. He had a close friend in the city of Tibet, who wasn't in training to become a holder. However, the guardian didn't care. He gave the peacock miraculous to his so called friend, who instantly betrayed him. The guardian scurried back to the temple, desperate for help. But it was too late. The guardian's friend led an angry mob to the temple, and they sent the temple ablaze. Almost all of the holders in training were wiped out completely, as they were caught off guard." John's eyes became unfocused, as if he were lost back in time, and his tone turned haunting. "It was... chaos. During the commotion, the friend was killed. The peacock miraculous got caught in the magic of the lost arts that the guardians were using, and was damaged. All of the guardians were killed. Except... two." John stopped in front of Marinette and Adrien. A fire blazed in his eyes. "The foolish guardian who started this all, who killed the guardians and miraculous wielders, was Master Fu. I understand he's a close friend of yours."

Marinette gasped. Adrien stared. Marinette told me Master Fu had told her about the guardians, and how he'd made a mistake...

John's hands clenched into fists. "And the other guardian... was me." He muttered darkly.

"T-that's impossible! The only reason Master Fu is still alive is because of the turtle miraculous! How could you be as old as he is?" Marinette retaliated, gritting her teeth in anger.

"I was the last moth miraculous wielder!" John shouted back.

Marinette went silent. Adrien's head spun. He looked over at his father once more. Than how did he get his hands on it? "How?" Adrien asked, his voice almost a whisper. He wasn't sure if he was asking about his father or about John.

"I was at the temple longer than Master Fu. I started learning the ways of the miraculous since I was a child. I studied the miraculous, yes, but I mostly focused on the dark arts. The other guardians were too cowardice to learn the dark ways of the miraculous, but I wasn't." John explained, smiling maliciously. "I've used that cursed magic to regain my youth, so that I can rebuild the guardians and the glorious temple in which we dwelled." John's eyes turned wistful. "There was no greater age than the age of the temple."

Without wasting a second, John raised the moth miraculous and clipped it onto his shirt. "And now..." He said, opening the book as he picked the Ladybug and Cat miraculous up in separate hands. "After years and years of waiting..." John's eyes drifted to meet the superheroes. "You'll have the pleasure of experiencing such an age."


	14. The Wish

-Adrien-

The chanting started as a low rumble, making Adrien's bones vibrate. Power and magic dripped from the strange words as they danced out of John's mouth. His eyes were plastered on the open pages of the book below him on the small table, and his hands were outstretched with the Ladybug and Cat miraculous resting on opposite hands.

It only took a few seconds before both of the miraculouses began to glow. The chanting increased in volume. Silently, both miraculouses instantly began to hover out of John's hands. In a flash, the powerful jewels collided together in air in front of John, a bright white light engulfing them.

Marinette's eyes widened in fear. "Adrien, we have to stop him!" She cried out.

Adrien was rigid. He was staring at Gabriel, who still hadn't woken up. "W-we can't." He replied, his voice weak.

Instantly the white light spread from the miraculous to John, covering him as he began to rise off of the ground. His eyes turned pure white, and he began to laugh maniacally. The laughs echoed all around the dome, sounding magnified along with the surge of power that radiated from him.

Marinette grunted as she pulled against the ropes tying her hands together. Adrien didn't move. He couldn't. His father was most likely dead, and John was about to make a wish so large it would wipe out the whole city.

"ADRIEN!" Marinette screamed, snapping Adrien out of his stupor. He glanced at Marinette who was continuing to struggle against her bonds, and Adrien began to do the same. Adrenaline poured into his muscles, making his heart race painfully as John continued to rise, his laughs growing in intensity.

Finally Adrien clambered to his feet, Marinette following suit. The light was growing brighter. The force that radiated from the two miraculouses created an outward wind that felt like a hundred hands were shoving Adrien back. Stumbling, Adrien and Marinette both leaned against the wall, trying to keep their balance.

A purple outline had wrapped itself around John, gold and purple light mixing into the white. John opened his mouth and started to chant once more, but the voice wasn't the one Adrien remembered. It was deep and unearthly, echoing deeper than Adrien could comprehend. It made his heart and legs shake. Continuing the twisted words, John lifted his glowing hands and a wave of power surged outwards. Adrien was smashed against the wall and the large butterfly designed window shattered. Losing his balance, Adrien fell to the ground. Marinette yelped and collapsed as well, her eyes filled with fear. Glass fell down around them. Adrien ducked his head, praying glass didn't get lodged into his back. When no pain came, he lifted his head. Marinette looked up as well without a pain filled face, which relieved him.

Marinette's eyes drifted to the shattered window behind them, and Adrien immediately understood. Again struggling to their feet, they both rushed to the open hole that once was blocked by the window. Jagged glass shards still stuck to the rim, and both Adrien and Marinette cut their bonds using the sharp glass.

Now free, Marinette rubbed her wrists and stared at Adrien with intense eyes. "We can't let him wish the guardians back!" She shouted, trying to be heard over the chaotic winds that blew her hair violently.

Adrien nodded, trying to keep his panic contained. They turned, covering their eyes with their arms to keep from getting blinded. Marinette took a step towards John when a huge explosion of energy blasted them off of their feet. Adrien could feel himself go weightless as the whole dome completely shattered just as the window had done moments before.

Landing hard, Adrien found himself back on the ground as a scream sounded behind him. Marinette... Adrien spun around. Marinette was gone. "Marinette!" Adrien screamed, his heart dropping into his stomach. "Mari!" He screamed again. Please no... not her...

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted back. Adrien sprung into action and ran to the edge, finding Marinette hanging onto a loose piece of floor. She was slipping. Adrien dropped to the ground and reached out, grabbing onto Marinette's wrist just as she started to fall.

"You aren't leaving me too!" Adrien shouted, using both hands as he struggled to pull Marinette up. Her eyes were filled with fear, but a sparkling gratitude and love made Adrien pull harder.

After what seemed an eternity, Adrien got Marinette back over the edge. They were both panting. Marinette lunged at Adrien, hugging him tightly. "I was scared." She whimpered. "But I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

Adrien squeezed his lady tightly. "I would never let my princess go."

Helping Marinette stand, they both turned as John cackled. However... he wasn't John anymore. He wasn't Imperiumal. He looked exactly like the figure from the book. When the figure spoke, it was a dark voice that reverberated in Adrien's skull.

"Prepare for the return of the GUARDIANS!" The figure shrieked. Adrien's stomach turned to lead. There was nothing they could do. It was already too late. John would have his wish. The guardians would return, but only with hundreds of sacrifices. The figure opened its mouth to proclaim its wish, when it was suddenly jerked to the side.

Time seemed to stop. Slamming into the figure was Gabriel, barely conscious as he tackled the being to the floor. The figure let out an unholy screech as it fell. Right as the two touched the ground, the bright purple, white and golden light erupted around them, tossing Adrien into oblivion.


	15. Ruin

-Adrien-

Adrien's eyes slowly cracked open. His whole body screamed at him. His head was ringing. Wincing in pain, Adrien sat up on his elbows, coughing out the smoke from his lungs. Squinting through the dust and smoke, Adrien's eyes widened as he took in the view before him.

The mansion was in ruins.

Adrien's eyes drifted and he spotted Marinette lying on the grass about ten feet away from him. All thoughts of the mansion vanished from his head. "M-marinette..." Adrien coughed, struggling to his feet. Half crawling, half stumbling, Adrien collapsed onto his knees next to Marinette. "Marinette... Mari, wake up." Adrien said softly, gasping between words. When she didn't respond, Adrien started to panic. "Please!" Adrien cried out, gently raising Marinette's head onto his lap.

Adrien was about to lose all hope then and there when Marinette's fingers twitched. Relief almost made Adrien pass out as Marinette's eyes opened. "Hey kitty, what happened?" She asked. The question sounded so normal Adrien almost believed his home wasn't completely destroyed behind him.

Marinette's eyes shifted to see past Adrien, and when her eyes widened, Adrien knew she saw the damage. "Oh no..." She said quietly, leaning up. Adrien helped her, and they both sat on the ground, leaning on each other for support as they stared at the once proud estate. "What happened to John...? And Gabriel?" Marinette asked.

Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat. "I don't know." He said, the familiar feeling of tears pricking the back of his eyes. He was worried about his father... but why should he? "Shouldn't you despise this man?" Adrien took a breath and shakily stood, helping Marinette up as well. It was the most pain Adrien remembered ever feeling, but he ignored it. They needed to find their miraculouses. And, Adrien hoped, his father as well.

Silently, Adrien and Marinette started walking around the mansion, using each other for balance. The middle, where the dome had been, was nothing but dust. It looked like a crater. The outer walls were mostly standing, but in all the mansion now looked like ancient ruins. Adrien couldn't help but feel an ache in his heart. Even though the mansion was a prison to him, he had lived there his entire life. He had lived his happy childhood in there, when his mother was still around. Now all of those happy memories seemed so distant... Almost like ruins themselves.

Marinette suddenly stopped, gasping. Adrien turned his way towards where Marinette was looking. His heart stopped. Lying on the ground a ways in front of them was his father.

Adrien let go of Marinette's hand and rushed to Gabriel, tripping on the uneven grass. "No, no, no..." Adrien mumbled, staring at his father's pale face. He vaguely wondered if this was how his mother looked when she had supposedly died. I can't lose him too. Adrien thought to himself. He's done nothing for me. But despite the cruel and horrible things Gabriel had done to him, Adrien found tears streaming down his cheeks.

The distant wails of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances were heard as Marinette silently knelt next to Adrien and hugged him. More tears came as Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette, hating himself for crying so much. His father's done nothing, and yet... Adrien didn't want him gone. No... he's done something. He saved the city of Paris, and because of that sacrifice, he would never open his eyes again.

Soon the sounds of the police and ambulances became louder, and before Adrien even knew what was happening, policemen, firemen and paramedics were rushing around the scene, checking for any more of the injured. Multiple paramedics ran over to Adrien, Marinette and Gabriel, and as the police moved Adrien and Marinette away, the paramedics lifted Gabriel onto a stretcher. As they rushed Gabriel to the ambulance, Adrien had to restrain himself from running into the car to be next to his dad.

"Are you hurt? Hey kid, can you hear me?" A deep voice pulled Adrien out of his shock. Adrien looked up at the policeman's stern face.

He nodded. "I-I'm okay, but... is my dad going to live?"

The policeman's face softened slightly. "We aren't sure right now, but the doctors will fix him up real good. You'll see." The same stern expression from before covered the man's face once again. "Now can you tell me what happened here?"

Everything continued on in a blur. Adrien vaguely answered some more questions, staring at the ambulance as it pulled away. Adrien didn't know when but soon he was back with Marinette, who had talked with a policeman of her own. Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng quickly arrived at the scene, and Adrien heard them talking to the police about a place where Adrien could stay while everything was worked out.

Marinette slowly moved Adrien away from the police and she whispered in his ear. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

Adrien wiped at his eyes. "Yeah." He replied, smiling weakly.

"Gabriel will be okay. I promise." Marinette said comfortingly.

Adrien nodded. "I hope."

Marinette gently moved Adrien's chin until their eyes met. "Don't worry, Chaton. You'll always have me. I won't ever leave you alone."

Adrien's smile grew. "Thank you m'lady." He said quietly. Marinette went up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly, pulling away after a second. Adrien instantly felt warmer. Safer. "We should go find our miraculouses. Tikki and Plagg are probably annoyed." Adrien said, chuckling softly. It felt amazing.

Marinette giggled. "You're right."

Warily glancing at the policemen around them, Marinette and Adrien walked away from Tom and Sabine, looking in the grass for a sign of their miraculouses.

"There!" Marinette exclaimed, her voice hushed.

A glint in the grass right next to a pile of debris caught Adrien's eye. He followed Marinette and smiled brightly as the two miraculouses came into view. Marinette quickly bent down and picked up the Ladybug earrings, and Adrien picked up his ring. They were about to put them on when Adrien saw something else. Lying right next to the pile of debris was the moth miraculous.

"Look!" Adrien said, bending down to pick it up. He reached out to grab it when suddenly, a hand shot out from the debris and landed on the miraculous. Adrien yelped and quickly pulled away, just as a raspy chuckle came out of the debris. John's head appeared, his hair white with dust.

"It's mine." John spat out, using the hand on the miraculous to pull himself farther out of the pile, but it was clear that he was stuck. John coughed violently before chuckling again. "The moth miraculous is mine. I earned it..." John's voice was breathy, oozing with strain. "I trained for it! The guardians gave me the power! They found me worthy!" John's tense fingers started to loosen on the miraculous. The color in his eyes was fading. "You aren't... worthy." He said, glaring up at Adrien. "You'll die... you'll feel the pain I've felt... you'll lose everything!" John's head became stiff. "I know your fears, kitten... I know your... mind." One final breath escaped John's mouth as his eyes turned lifeless. Falling limp, the moth miraculous slid out of John's hand. The Moth Guardian was defeated once and for all.


	16. Some Secrets to Share

-Marinette-

It was the next morning. Marinette opened her eyes and slowly sat up, groaning as her sore muscles complained. She looked over at Adrien, who was sleeping on the ground next to her. After everything had calmed down, Tom and Sabine had convinced the police to let Adrien stay with them until everything was worked out. Nathalie was out of town for the week, and she wouldn't be back for a couple of days. With Gabriel out of commission, there was a lot of work to do for the company to stay running.

Speaking of Gabriel... the doctors had recently called Tom and Sabine, telling them that he didn't last the night. When Marinette had told Adrien, the light had faded from his eyes. After that... well, they were both out in seconds, even with the grief from the dark news. Marinette had felt bad about making Adrien sleep on the floor, so she had opt to as well. Even though the floor was hard, (all of the blankets and pillows weren't of any help,) Marinette had no trouble sleeping. Now as Marinette looked at Adrien, she knew that he was going to be asleep for a long while. She didn't mind. He deserved it, seeing as how much he's gone through the past few weeks.

Marinette quietly got to her feet and climbed up and out of her room, smiling as the smell of the fresh morning air brushed across her face. The air shouldn't be this clean. So much damage was done last night... As she walked to the railing, Marinette heard a soft whoosh behind her and she knew that Tikki was beside her.

"Well I'm glad it's a Saturday." Marinette said, glancing down at her kwami who sat perched on the railing. "It would be just our luck if it were a school day today."

Tikki laughed. The smile on her face made Marinette feel incredibly guilty.

"Tikki, I'm sorry I lost my miraculous." Marinette said quietly.

"Oh, Marinette! It's okay. We all make mistakes." The kwami replied happily.

"But that mistake almost devastated the city of Paris!" Marinette protested. And killed Adrien's father.

Tikki shrugged innocently. "You should've seen the disasters back in the ancient times." When the kwami didn't elaborate, Marinette thought it best not to prod for details.

Marinette sighed. "Do you remember John from back then? You had a wielder then, right?"

"Yeah... John was different then." Tikki looked out over the balcony, lost in time. "He was curious about everything. He studied the lost arts non stop." Tikki laughed softly. "He always asked me questions about the miraculouses. Plagg refused to have anything to do with books and studying." Tikki looked up at Marinette. "I guess you could say his thirst for knowledge led to his ultimate destruction."

"Curiosity killed the cat." Marinette added. And the lust for power killed Gabriel.

Tikki cocked her head to the side. "But he was a human." She said, obviously confused.

Marinette smiled. "Never mind."

Adrien was still asleep by the time Marinette went back into her room. She didn't mind. As quietly as possible, Marinette opened up the trapdoor and slipped out of her room, climbing downstairs. Her mom and dad were already making breakfast, and when they saw her smiles instantly broke out on their faces.

"Mari!" Tom exclaimed, rushing over and almost squeezing the life out of Marinette.

"Hey dad." Marinette said, laughing as he released her.

"How're you feeling sweetie?" Sabine asked, placing a platter of perfect pancakes onto the counter.

Marinette smiled brightly. "I'm good, just sore." She walked to the counter and sat down, taking a pancake and setting it onto her own plate. Sabine poured her some orange juice.

"How's Adrien?" Sabine asked, looking at Marinette with her concerned "motherly" eyes.

Marinette glanced over at the trapdoor that led to her room. "I think he's going to be okay... I don't know. He... didn't say anything after I told him about his father..."

Sabine nodded knowingly. "As anyone would expect." She said. "Is Nathalie going to take him in?" She's avoiding the topic of Gabriel.

Marinette's smile faded. "I don't know..."

"It's alright, honey." Sabine smiled warmly. "Adrien can stay here for as long as he needs to."

Tom nodded happily. "We wouldn't ever kick the poor boy out."

"Thanks mom and dad." Marinette replied, pouring just a little bit of syrup onto her pancake.

There was a moment of silence until Sabine placed a pancake on her own plate and sat down next to Marinette. "Mari... could you tell us what happened at the Agreste estate? The police couldn't tell."

Marinette stared at her pancake. Usually she could come up with a lie right on the spot, but... this was different. Usually she didn't have a problem with lying to protect her identity, but now she wasn't so sure. I should tell them. They deserve that much. Hoping Tikki wouldn't get mad at her later, Marinette sighed and looked up at her parents.

"Please don't be mad?" Marinette said, hating how it sounded like a question.

Tom let out a booming laugh. "Marinette, we wouldn't be mad at you for telling the truth!"

Are you sure about that, Dad? Marinette slowly got out of her seat, trying to feign confidence. "I... I'm..." Marinette sucked in a breath. Why is this so hard?! Something caught Marinette's eye and she saw Tikki behind her parents, who gave her an encouraging nod. Marinette lifted her chin. "I'm Ladybug." She said flatly, just waiting for her parents to burst and ground her for life. "Tikki, spots on!"

Her parents eyes got wider as Marinette transformed in front of them into the famous Ladybug. Ladybug quickly looked down at her feet, embarrassed and worried what her parents reactions might be.

"Y-you're Ladybug?!" Tom exclaimed, his mouth gaping. Sabine's hands were held together at her chest.

"All this time?" Sabine said quietly.

Ladybug looked back up at her parents eyes. "Are you mad?"

Sabine quickly shook her head. "No... no of course not... but why didn't you tell us?"

"I... Well, my kwami told me it would be safer to keep my identity hidden. If Hawk Moth had found out, then that would've put you guys in danger." Hawk Moth isn't here anymore.

Tom's mouth was still hanging open as Sabine nodded. "We understand, sweetie." She said.

Ladybug was for sure she heard that wrong. "You're... not going to stop me from being Ladybug?"

Sabine smiled. "We would never keep you from saving Paris. You've done a marvelous job already."

Ladybug smiled brightly and rushed to her parents, hugging them both. "Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad."

"Marinette?! W-what are you doing?" Adrien said, staring at Ladybug as he stood on the steps.

Ladybug turned away from her parents embrace and smiled guiltily at Adrien.

"Wait, he knows?" Tom asked.

Ladybug glanced at her dad. "Oh... uh, there's something else you should know..." She looked up at Adrien, hoping he would get the message.

Adrien walked down the stairs, looking tired but better then he had been. "Oh, um..." He scratched his neck awkwardly. "Plagg, claws out!" Ladybug looked over at her parents as Adrien transformed, and she was sure they were going to pass out.

Then Tom did the last thing Ladybug ever thought he would do. He laughed. "This is perfect!" He exclaimed, giving out his familiar booming laugh. Sabine smiled and even giggled a little.

Chat smiled as well and continued scratching the back of his neck. Ladybug laughed as well.

It stayed like that for a long while until the laughter died down. What about Gabriel? Shouldn't they know he's Hawk Moth? "Mom, Dad, there's also something else you should know."

"More?" Tom asked, the dying effects of laughter showing on his face.

Ladybug glanced over at Chat, who was looking at her with a strange look. He must know what she was about to say. "Gabriel..." Ladybug began. Chat's eyes widened slightly, and she could tell that he didn't want them to know. Not yet. "...had an akuma sent after him. That's how the mansion got destroyed." Ladybug finished, still looking over at Chat. Chat smiled gratefully.

Apparently, some things still had to be secrets. And she was fine with that.


	17. A Well Deserved Break

-Adrien-

Raising her fist, Marinette lightly knocked on the door. She stepped back as the door opened. It was strange to think that the last time they had visited Master Fu, he had been manipulated by Imperiumal. By John. But that wouldn't happen anymore. Because John's dead. The thought baffled Adrien. After they'd seen him die, the police found them and John was proclaimed dead. No one had known who he was. And my father... No. Adrien was determined to keep his emotions about his father away. If only for the time being. There were more important matters to discuss.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir." Master Fu said, letting them in. Marinette and Adrien walked in and sat down, having gotten used to the routine.

"Are you alright, Master?" Marinette asked.

Master Fu raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Marinette glanced at Adrien. "Last time we came you were being manipulated by Imperiumal. You attacked me."

"Did I now?" Master asked, sipping some tea.

"Don't you remember?" Adrien asked. The words sounded strange coming from his mouth, seeing as he was the one who had forgotten a month.

Master Fu shook his head. "I do not."

"Well then, uh... There's a lot we need to tell you." Adrien said.

Marinette and Adrien launched into a lengthy recount of all that had happened the past day. They explained who John was, how the wish was almost made, and how John was now dead. Master Fu didn't say anything throughout the entire exchange. He only merrily sipped his tea. Once they revealed Hawk Moth's identity as Gabriel and his death, Master Fu's eyes darted to Adrien's, who looked down at the ground. He was struggling to keep the tears from falling.

"I am sorry to hear that." Master Fu said, setting his tea onto the floor beside him

Adrien nodded. He didn't want to think about his father anymore than he had to. He didn't want to talk about him either.

"Master, how did John live so long? He mentioned the... dark arts?" Marinette asked, and Adrien immediately felt grateful for the change of subject.

Master Fu's eyes darkened. "It is a forbidden ritual only performed by the foolish. I'd advise you to never partake in it."

Marinette frowned. "I don't think we could. Didn't everything get destroyed at the temple?"

"Yes... but that book holds many key secrets. I'm glad we were able to get the information from the book before the other copy was destroyed in the mansion." Master Fu said.

"Master... I'm sorry for asking, but... is what John said true? Did you really give the peacock miraculous to that man?" Adrien asked.

Master Fu frowned. "Yes. I was young and careless back then. I was excited about the prospect of the miraculouses, and I got carried away." The old man sighed. "I am sorry for the trouble that it has caused. If only the past could change." Master Fu looked up at Adrien and Marinette with intense eyes. "But we should never attempt such a drastic art." He said, standing. Adrien and Marinette followed suit. "Farewell Ladybug, Chat Noir. With Imperiumal gone I believe the Guardians of Paris deserve a long break."

Adrien smiled, and when he looked at Marinette he saw that she was doing the same. They said their goodbyes to the Master, transformed, and leapt away.

Adrien and Marinette were watching the sunset. It was quiet and peaceful, which was what Adrien needed. Marinette snuggled up closer to him and Adrien smiled. He was the luckiest superhero in the world.

"It's all over." Marinette said quietly.

Adrien sighed. "Yep. No more Imperiumal."

Marinette paused. "Do you feel guilty? I mean... John... he died. He was just trying to bring the guardians back. Probably his friends."

"I... I wish John didn't die, but... I feel more guilty because... I'm happy it's over. Knowing John's gone gives me a sense... of peace." Adrien sighed. "And I know that's horrible, to find peace in someone's death."

Marinette shook her head. "No I understand. You deserve a break.

"We deserve a break." Adrien corrected.

Marinette giggled lightly. "Sorry. We." She said, turning to face Adrien. Her cheeks and nose were both slightly pink, and Adrien couldn't tell if it was from the cool breeze or from blushing.

Adrien kissed Marinette lightly on her forehead. "I love you, my lady." He said under his breath.

Marinette smiled. "Of course you do." She leaned in and they kissed just as the sun was slipping below the horizon.

Adrien didn't know what was going to happen when Nathalie would get back, or when his father's funeral would be held, but he knew one thing; he would never ever forget this moment.

How could he?

It was perfect.


End file.
